


Eyes

by Ariadne (Ariadnem)



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2014-04-05
Packaged: 2018-01-18 05:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 24,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1417360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ariadnem/pseuds/Ariadne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaina is the powerful Silver Saint of Ophiuchus, who has been dishonoured by the two Saints that first saw her face but the law forces her to love them or kill them, not being able to do the last. However, their hearts already belong to someone else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1. Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> The story is not fully proofread, but I did tried to do my best since English is not my first language. That being said, any and every mistake is mine and mine alone. Ari

**Eyes**

 

 

 _“The perfect moments were the ones_  
that touched Aphrodite the most;  
they were like jewels unexpectedly  
found in the path of life”  
 **Pisces Aphrodite.  
La Decisión de Hefesto**

 

 

 

 

**I. Acceptance**

 

 

The light of the candle was almost dying. The woman didn’t bother to light a new one.  Ophiuchus was shining bright on her body, and it made her feel safe in a way she couldn’t identify fully.

The bed was still near the window. Shaina hadn’t changed it, despite knowing Cassius had died and the Battle had finished many a week before. It was still hard to accept, however.

There were very few things in the place; a humble hard bed, a night table at its side.  An old vase was still there.  There was no one to fill it with new flowers anymore.  Shaina hadn’t even taken the old ones from it.  They were now dry, shrunken, and dead.  The woman didn’t mind them; after all, she believed she didn’t deserve them.

Memories of past days were reaching her, making her shiver.  That was not the moment for being sentimental, though.  Besides, other issues were on her mind, Aioria, for instance. She hadn’t stopped thinking about Aioria for several minutes.  Not that she felt bad about it, it was simply, too awkward.

Maybe somewhere else in Sanctuary, someone worthy of Aioria’s love, was thinking about him, too.  However, if Shaina was to tell the truth, even to herself; she knew it was all a trap she was getting herself into.  Love was not something that existed for someone like her. Love was nothing but a utopia she wanted to create for living in her own dreams.  The woman knew she had harboured those wishes somewhere in between her hatred against Sanctuary and everything around her, and her love for the same said things.

 “His eyes are as green as mine, but his eyes don’t hate—not like mine.” The woman breathed deep. After all these months, she hadn’t stopped thinking about him, even when she had tried.  Not for one minute. She knew she should not think about him. He was not free, she knew that too. Besides, she loved someone else.  At least, that was what she believed.

Shaina had unnoticeably started to let her feelings towards him grow.  She had enjoyed them when she had been alone; weaving in her mind what could never come to pass and what was a certainty for her.  Love and hate again, things she knew she was forbidden to feel, for she had been taken under Athena’s care.

  1.   For many a month, the same Goddess she had prayed to in silence, had also become her worst nightmare; the one causing her uncomfortable situations. The one she had once seen as a rival.



“Of what?”  Ophiuchus muttered uncertain of the question itself.  Seiya hadn’t been an issue for good or for bad to her. Seiya had just been the man she had thought she had loved.  Shaina knew she had loved him.  What had it been then that that had made her forget about that love? Seiya had been the one that had seen her face for the first time and had showed her kindness when she had less expected it. Seiya had been the one she had never been able to kill—nor love anymore.

The woman took a closer look at what surrounded her, feeling suddenly uneasy, and after many an hour lost in her thought, the Amazon started to feel claustrophobic in her cottage.  Her body demanding that she left and calmly so that ease would come to her.

The light was dim and it was almost a magical vision to witness.  The mask was on her bed, shining in the moonlight. Ophiuchus felt as if it had been the first time she had seen the piece of metal. The mask seemed alive, as if calling her to it.  Shaina feared for a moment that it was truly a lively thing.  The mask, the piece of silver she so loathed was also what she loved the most. It was part of her and of the world she had always lived in.  The Amazon moved to the bed and took the mask. 

Before Shaina put the mask back on her face, she looked at her reflection in a broken mirror.  She had forgotten where it came from.  Was it one of the pieces of the one mirror from the Pope’s chamber?  The one that had broken so many a year ago?  Was it just something she had found out somewhere? Yes, Shaina had forgotten. That was not the only thing she had sent to oblivion, though.  She couldn’t even remember when it had been the last time she had seen her face in it. When she did, half her face was covered by shadows.  The other half was sorrowfully looking back at her.  What was that in front of her?  The wicked mockery of fate, which she had always known she was, or was it only what she feared the most.

A woman; that was what she was. For a second, the cottage didn’t matter, nor did Sanctuary.  It was not even important that she was the silver Saint of Ophiuchus.  She was nothing but a woman; and the thought of it frightened her. The silver Saint felt suddenly in the middle of a twisted manoeuvre by Destiny, feeling out of place.  Why had fate played so hard with her? Her fingers moved along her face, slowly caressing her cheeks. When they touched near her eyes, she thought of him again.  It seemed to be unavoidable lately.

“Aioria—”she whispered the name, and then breathed deep. Repeatedly, she wondered why it was so deliciously bitter to say that name to the night. The woman mentally scolded herself for her daring. Not only was he a gold Saint. He was also the man a fellow Saint was in love with.  For she had always known Marine was in love with Aioria.  She always knew the Leo Saint had loved the other woman back.

Absent-mindedly, the Saint walked to her bed and finally took the mask.  Not for a moment did she think about anything else. Shaina simply walked out her cottage, knowing exactly which path to take.  Also, for as long as she had to walk to the place she was going, the Korê had to wear the mask. She covered her face and called off her armour, which took its shape and placed itself in a corner.

Free from Ophiuchus, the Amazon walked out of her house.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

The guardian of the Fifth Temple was lying on the roof of it, staring at the stars.  The temple, located in the middle of the hill, allowed him a beautiful view of the sky.  He was not sure what he was looking for above him. He felt as if the spectacle he was witnessing was proof from the Gods that they were taking care of him. Even when it was already night, he could play with the clouds and pretend they were taking different forms. The magic in Sanctuary was something Aioria was already used to, yet it was also something that still amazed him. The man knew, though, that the truth behind his observation of the stars was only that he was looking for a reason to forget.

He would erase the last thirteen years of his life if only it were possible.  Aioria knew he would change his present life for a moment of peace in which his soul would not feel the guilt.  It was as if he had been guilty of everything that had happened.  He had wronged his brother, and his Goddess, even his fellow saints. And lately, he had wronged himself too.

The man suddenly sat, moving impatiently. Among everything he knew he had lost and done wrong, Aioria knew he had lost Marine. Eagle had meant so much to him that it hurt him to think that.  However, now that he was thinking about it carefully, he realised he hadn’t lost her at all. You can only lose what has been yours, he was thinking, as if the sole thought of it could make it all right.

Marine had been the one person who had always supported him.  She had been at his side even in the most difficult times.  Eagle had never isolated him because of his past.  Was it gratefulness what moved him towards her, then? “By Athena” he said whispering, uncertain of the reasons for his doubts.  Marine had always been so close and so far from him—too far from him to be reached. As time went by, Leo knew she was getting farther from him.

He had acknowledged he had started missing their talks and the one who was like a little brother to him, Seiya. That was all.  Of that, he was sure.  And it pained him to know that and to be certain that his feelings had changed.

Aioria had started missing someone else’s hair, and smell, and especially, he was missing her eyes.  There were no coherent explanations for it.  He had been trying to find one at least, but there was none.  The only reason he was able to find was that he was in love.  Whether that love was to bring him something he knew not. Whether that love was to mean something to him or not, he learnt he loved Shaina.  Even when he also knew, she was in love with someone else. The man passed his hand through his hair, combing it with his fingers.  Desperation and the knowledge of what his feelings meant were a conundrum for him.

It was a warm night, though.  He could sense it and could feel it around him. The wind was blowing freely, not caring about the man or how immersed he was in his thoughts.  Leo was still below him, standing proudly among the other houses. The Star Lion belonged to him and it made him feel there was not much he would need that evening. He shivered, though. There was so much more he longed for. So many things he would ditch if only for a moment of personal happiness.  It was not his decision to make, he thought.  Athena had been his life behind the lie of his brother’s betrayal. Marine and Seiya had become his family for many a year. 

 _‘It’s because I love Seiya that you have died.’_    He remembered Shaina’s words when he was carrying Cassius to his grave.  A death that had occurred in the name of Athena. He remembered that much; that and the red mask before his fight against Shaka.  All that and the feeling of shame of his actions.  The shame of his weakness to face that one he showed respect and loyalty to.  Aioria knew later what had happened.  What the false Pope had made of him.  The puppet he had made of himself.  It had been Shaina’s words that had awakened him finally.  Seiya had broken the spell; she had brought him to his senses. Shaina’s words—those words were now burning in his chest.  Haunting him.  Cassius and Shaina.  There was nothing else he could think about.  All his memories taking him back to Cassius. 

Faithful Cassius who had died because of love. Strong Cassius who had died, because he had killed him—adding more guilt to his already tormented soul.

The emotions and feelings he was experiencing had begun to pierce his being.  Emotions were not his specialty and the whole thing made him feel awkward.  It was something to which he simply reacted, not meditated.  Leo finally stood.  His heart aching for his own stupidity.  For not knowing what he really desired.

Aioria was in love with the Eagle Amazon. He had always been. Why then was his heart screaming Shaina’s name?  The man shook his head. Shaina was in love with the Pegasus Bronze Saint.  It was also a rumour within the boundaries of the sacred place.  An Amazon, who hadn’t killed the one who had seen her face, then had only one choice left. Otherwise, she would have killed him already, but instead, she had saved him.  He had witnessed it in Japan, near the hospital.  The other Bronze Saints had told tales of her meddling in the fights in Asgard and in Atlantis.  She had already chosen when he had finally met her long ago.  He had also chosen when that had happened, hadn’t he? 

The man had never trusted before; yet he had trusted Marine.  However, Marine was now just—her, and there were no emotions involved whatsoever.  Aioria had to atone for his own actions, for his feelings.  But what had happened and for what would never happen. It hurt him to have to acknowledge that.

The wind hit him on his face once again, bringing him back to reality.

The Saint fell free on to the ground, his body coming forward and bending almost to stand up later. He needed to leave his Temple.   Not wanting to feel anymore.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

The Greek landscape is dry most of the year and is also full of brown mountains without much vegetation.  However, and because of its Goddess, Sanctuary had special spots full of life.  It was the grace of Athena’s power that allowed green meadows to come to be part of the place. A mute demonstration of the blessing over those she loved the most.

Right behind Star Hill, the place where the Pope used to go and meditate, there was one of them.  The place, most people knew—for it was also a sacred place only the Pope could visit—was consecrated to the gods.  Not only to Athena.  That sole place had become a place for silent worship and a place for the Pope to come closer to the Goddess and to her wishes.  A small river ran through the hills, carving its path on the stones and rocks. The olive trees grew tall along the riverbank, giving the place a sense of intimacy that made Shaina feel, she was walking a godly path.  The river however, was what Shaina adored in the simplest way possible. Its flowing stream and its soft, almost slothful movement was charming.  The river seemed to her to be strong also.  Timeless. 

 _‘Love’_ she thought.  Shaina had never felt herself worthy of love.  In fact, she believed everything she had known related to it, was what she had once felt towards Seiya.  Yet, the woman knew she had one time known unconditional love. It had been a long time since somebody had actually told her she loved her.  It had been her sister Geist, the night before she had been cast from Sanctuary.  The woman remembered the feeling of pain when they had been separated.  She had lost everything and she had changed after that.  Then Seiya had come into her life.  And then Cassius. Now—she was not what she thought she was.  Life had struck her so hard and so badly, that she had grown bitter and dark.  Grand in power and strength.  Soulless.  Shaina felt sometimes, she had been abandoned by her sister who hadn’t cared about her and had allowed men to send her away.  It was summarised on a battle between men and women.  The most ancient, silliest fight of all.

What a turmoil her head was.  She hadn’t cozened anyone, as Geist had tried to do. Her sister’s sins were not her own. Her heart was not her domain, no matter how hard she tried to think differently.  Shaina hadn’t chosen to love Seiya, nor had she chosen to feel the way she felt now. 

The woman moved her hair violently while walking towards the water.  She paid close attention so there was not anybody but her, the dark, the water and the moonlight in the place. She needed nothing else for the mere knowledge of solitude was enough. 

The first thing Shaina did was to take her mask off. The air hitting her on the face, the nudity that gesture implied, made her smile.  Slowly, she pulled her blouse up and took it off above her head.  Her nude torso chilled by the cold air.  The woman leaned forward taking her pants off, one leg, and then the other. Her feet were already bare.  She walked into the water, her body shivering at the touch of it.  The heat of the Greek land keeping the water warm enough for her, like if it had prepared itself for the woman, making her feel comfortable and welcome.

The path into the water made her gasp. The woman was trying to be careful where she stood, her feet sinking in the underwater earth. After entering the water, Shaina let herself be covered by it, holding her breath below it enough to pull herself out and then breathe again.  There were no words to describe how much she was enjoying the feeling of the water running down her body, as if it were embracing her.  An honest smile forming on her lips while she swam again. Allowing herself the feeling of the place surrounding her.  Feeling free.

The woman came out the water, throwing her head back so her hair would not be on her face.  Her greenish hair was falling down, like a waterfall, showing its length, being longer than it actually looked. She moved her hands over her face, pulling away the strands of hair still there.

Shaina smiled, feeling the cold air touching her naked skin.  She fell on her back and into the water one more time, to float again, and swim backwards, then turning to swim to the shore.   It was then when she saw him.  Aioria was swimming as she herself was; and just like a reflection of herself, he stood there, unable to utter a sound.

Motionless.

 

  
*       *       *

  
  


Leo had just started to walk, simply following his feet. They had led him to the river behind Star Hill.  He had started to ramble around Sanctuary, unaware of what he was doing.  The paths in the sacred place took him to the one spot he last thought he was going to visit that night.  He welcomed the fact that he was there, though.  It had been a while since he had been in the small river for the last time. Sooner than he thought, Aioria was there, in front of the water. Sooner than he had desired, his clothes were off and he was inside the water.  Leo had always loved the sensation of calmness he was able to experience when he was at Star Hill. It made him forget about his brother, about his friends, even about Marine.  However, Shaina was still in his head.  

The man called her name briefly, afraid somebody might have heard him.  Afraid the acceptance he had just gone through in his temple was a reality he couldn’t face.

“Shaina” he repeated.  Feeling relieved when he did.  Loving the sound of the forbidden name.  If only it were not forbidden.

“What am I thinking?” he scolded himself. It was all wrong. Everything he had thought about in his House.  All the things he had believed true and were not.  He loved Marine, even with the doubts, he loved her. There was no woman like her, strong, intelligent, and beautiful.

“Beautiful.”  Leo muttered without preventing his words to escape his lips. The Saint had never seen Marine’s face. All he had seen had been small hints of what her face could be like.  Only once had he felt the bare skin.  That night, many a moon ago, Aioria had wanted to kiss Marine.  Leo closed his eyes, bringing the memory back to him, just to see if he could go beyond it and have something truly meaningful to treasure. That night, he had tried to remove the mask himself.  His hand had even touched the cold piece of silver before Marine had removed his hand from it violently. Aioria remembered how he had reverently moved back.  The man had never meant to disturb her, yet he knew he had somewhat done so.  Marine had noticed his fears, his desire. She had tried to understand his need, or at least, that had been what Aioria had wanted to believe all that time. She had removed the mask herself, only after blindfolding him with the piece of cloth she always had tied to her waist. The softness of the skin, he had to guess it by the touch of the lips, for the woman didn’t let him touch her. Aioria had seen the cold mask before and after the intimate situation.  Always that cold mask between him and Marine.  The feeling of disappointment and impotence was still so vivid that Aioria knew it was because of that that he had never tried to kiss her again.

Aioria shook his head, trying by doing so, to forget what had happened.  The man simply went back to the water and kept swimming. He had to stop thinking, he knew. It didn’t do him any good to go over the same thing.  Besides, the water had always helped him calm his inner fire, his impetuosity; his anger and pain. Although now, he knew, it wasn’t working whatsoever.

Leo stayed there, swimming back and forth at ease.  Right in the middle of the river, a few meters away from where his clothes were.  The man was lost in his thoughts, enjoying every moment, until he heard some noise and splashes near him, and turned to see what it was or who.  It was then when he saw her.

Shaina was there, staring at him, as motionless as he was.  Not even in his wildest dreams, would he have imagined how beautiful she was.

For once in his life, the mask was not an obstacle, but a confirmation of what he already knew.  For Shaina was beautiful.  More than he had once pictured her.  What was he to do now that he had seen her?  What was she to do?  Was she going to kill him?  What if she decided to let him live and fall in love with him?  Should he move closer?

“Seiya was right Shaina, for being the devil; you have an angel’s face.”  The words came out his lips naturally, meaning no offence.  How she would take them, however, was a different matter. Aioria had just spoken his mind, allowing himself a moment for being honest with the only one who had been so with him.  The man stood a couple of more seconds, even when neither of them realised how many they had been. The woman did the same. The moon was still shining above them, bathing them along with the water with her light. Embracing them as if protecting them from each other and themselves.

However, it was Leo who took the first step away from the woman.  He meant no harm. He’d decided not to go beyond the boundaries of their duties, thus he swam away, letting her be.

Shaina on the other hand, tried to calm herself when she heard his words. The woman didn’t want to feel anything, feeling apprehensive before Aioria.  Many a thing had happened now, and the memory of her own thoughts just some hours ago, in the private space her cottage was, only added more mayhem to her mind. Shaina breathed deeply when Aioria left her alone.  She fell in the water, sitting near the shore.  And then she cried feeling vulnerable, lost—angry.  Not knowing exactly how to react or why she was not doing anything about it.

But then, the woman blushed.  She had just realized that she was—naked; and that so was he—and then his words—why were the Gods punishing her? Was her sin against her Goddess so big that she was receiving such pain?

Shaina remained sitting in the water for a moment she thought endless.  Maybe blaming Athena was the right thing to do.  Perhaps the knowledge of what she had never had and never could have was the best thing to do. Ophiuchus knew much better, however. The woman knew she couldn’t blame anyone but herself.  It had been her own choices that had built her present.

The Amazon walked out of the water, moving only because she had to.  She got dressed without paying attention to anything around her.  If she were attacked at that very moment, she would surely be killed; caring for nothing.  In fact at that point, she knew nothing but that she had just been dishonoured. One more time. By a different man.

Once again, she hadn’t done anything against it. Again, she had made the wrong decision. And walked in silence back to the cottage, she called home. Thinking about painless eyes who had just stared at her.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

Aioria walked silently to his Temple, still thinking about everything that had happened to him that evening. From the reveries to ending up on the roof of Leo, to going to the river behind the sacred place. That and the sight of Shaina. He smiled sorrowfully. Once, he had held her against him and hadn’t paid attention to that.  Then later—he could remember the warmth he had felt after that. Aioria brought his hand to his chest, right on his heart, feeling it beat quickly.  He felt the warmth again.  Knowing what he had been accepting and denying for many a week now.

When he arrived at his place, everything changed. Marine was there, waiting for him. The man didn’t know what to make out of it.  Many a day had passed since the last time they had talked.  The battles had just ended, they had been the ones still standing in the place and he had spent all his time alone, for Seiya was not his company either.  When Aioria saw her, he sighed heavily.  She was the last person he had expected to see that night, for among all the people, she was not the one he wanted to be with.

“Good evening, Aioria.”  Yet her voice was as sweet and strong as always. Bringing to him, memories of what had once been, and of what would never be again.

Her voice sounded so soft that for a second, he wished that voice was not hers—but another woman’s.  Leo came closer to her and smiled faintly.  “Evening, Marine.”  He answered. 

He could feel the fluctuation in Marine’s cosmos, as if it were somewhat trying to reach his.  Aioria’s cosmos on the other hand, was trying to avoid any sort of contact. 

Go, please, Aioria’s soul screamed.  He simply didn’t want to see her.  Maybe another time, or the next day, it didn’t really matter.  All he wanted was a little time on his own, in which he could hide and lick his own wounds peacefully, until he found some sort of explanation for what was unexplainable.  His feelings had a name, one he was not afraid to say.  One which even had a shape, for which he had just seen and had just fallen into worship. 

Suddenly, the entrance to his Temple became an unbearable place.  The air turned heavy and he couldn’t stand the sight of Marine.  It was not the woman herself, it was him what was wrong—

It was him who was not ready to spend his time with Marine and he was unprepared for the woman’s actions.  Aioria was observing everything as if in slow motion. Marine had put her hand on the mask and was removing it from her face.  The man couldn’t even react as Marine approached him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Or when her lips moved so close to his that they touched, sending vibrations all through his body. His conundrum began—once again—when those same vibrations faded away as the lips detached from his.

Aioria held to his memories.  To those times in which all he had wanted had been the woman he was just holding in his arms.  When all he could think about was Athena, and his brother and Seiya. Things were too different now—so different, they made him wonder why he was still embracing her despite his own feelings.

Aioria looked at her, taking her face in his hands. His thumbs were moving on the skin, touching and caressing how soft it was.  The complexion so perfect, as if carved in marble.  He could see Marine sighing and smiling swiftly, while moving her soft face against the strong hands that held it.  Leo had never seen her face, until that evening, and all he was able to do, was trying to remember the times when he would seek her company, or when he looked at her from afar and she was training Seiya. 

He breathed once again when he took a step backwards to contemplate those eyes he had so longed for.  “They’re not green.” Aioria said painfully.  The man just moved forward enough as to leave his forehead rest on hers, knowing he didn’t have the words to explain himself.  “Kill me, Marine,” Aioria pleaded.

Still bewildered by his words, Marine looked at him.

“Kill me, please,” he repeated, holding her tight by her arms.  Guilt running through his veins as poison.  “Kill me for I am not worthy of you and I cannot love you”. 

Marine clung to his arm, making him move forward to her again.  She was afraid of what he was saying.  The woman gasped, trying to recover.  When she had come to him that night that was not what she had expected.  After many a day and night spent reflecting on her meditation, Eagle had decided to give to him the sight of her face for the first time.  She had even thought she might spend the evening at the Leo’s temple to finally call it her house, as Aioria used to tell her it was.  “Aioria…”

“Forgive me, Marine” The man walked away from her not being really prepared to face her, leaving her there standing in the middle of the place.  “They’re not green.” He repeated while finding his way inside Leo. Hazel eyes for the Eagle’s Amazon, not green.  Hazel.

Aioria walked inside his temple and closed the door behind him.  His breathing was too irregular.  He couldn’t face her.  The man couldn’t see her eyes again.  Yet, he felt he had wronged her once again, for he had ditched her as if she were worthless of an explanation.  One he couldn’t give.

Marine’s eyes were all he could think of. Shaina’s eyes were part of his thoughts as well.  He had seen them the same evening.  They had shown something different to him.  So much calmness in Marine’s, such impetuosity in Shaina’s.

Marine’s eyes didn’t show any pain. They were tranquil, like the sea in the mornings, just as it was when he trained near it. Beautiful, even wise eyes, but empty. Lifeless.  He needed more, that much he knew.  The time for his passivity and lack of inspiration was gone. Aioria had seen the fire burning in Shaina’s green eyes, and wanted that fire to burn him.  To purify him.

Aioria changed his clothes, wearing some sports pants only.  He went to his kitchen and prepared some coffee.  This time it was the best, it always helped him sleep.  Leo just hoped it was the same that night.   Even though the memories of their little encounter in the river began to make him feel differently.

Marine however, stayed there, watching his silhouette disappear in the deep blackness of the hall.  Not even the moon lit the place.  Still in disbelief, Eagle waited for something. Anything that would tell her what had happened to that she had thought hers once.  Why was Aioria cleaving her spirit as if it meant nothing? Was she so contemptuous that she didn’t deserve a talk on the matter?  She waited for him, but he never turned to look at her.  Not even once.

 

*       *       *

 

 

The broken mirror returned an image she didn’t know. The image of a woman she thought a stranger.  Shaina had been sitting on her bed, realising her own state and how absurd it all seemed.

The woman stretched her hand, almost touching her reflection in the mirror.  “An angel?” she whispered uncertain of everything, even of herself.  How could an _‘angel’_ like her be so lethal?  She knew herself too well as to believe she could actually be a good person, and she needed to understand that _‘angel’_ in her. Seiya had mentioned it, and now Aioria. So what had Seiya told Aioria that he had said those words?  Little by little, the desire to know had started to grow within and yet, she couldn’t find a reason.

Shaina needed to find it, so she would not lose her sanity.  So many things she had in her mind.  So many a thought the woman couldn’t understand.  The Amazon wanted to find her soul, even if it were by looking deep into her own eyes.  _The eyes are the mirror of the soul,_ she remembered.  Then repeated it, finding it astonishingly useless.

Shaina couldn’t see beyond herself. She couldn’t fathom the reasons destiny had had to make her fit in such an unexpected place as Sanctuary was. An urge to go away from the sacred land. The necessity of looking for a past she knew was not hers anymore, began to grow and to become her only thought. Shame and revenge. Shame and love had suddenly become her soul and doom.  What was she to do? She wondered.  She hadn’t done anything when Seiya had seen her face.  She had simply remained with the pain and the dishonour in her heart and had meant to kill him.  Despite the fact that she had harboured those feelings within, she had tried to kill him.

However, when it had been Aioria who had seen her face—Ophiuchus took her mask once again, desperate about leaving her cottage.  Many an hour had passed since she was back and she started to walk, heading to the Twelve Temples. Flaring her cosmos as a sign of respect towards the Guardians of the Zodiac.  All of them, the survivors of the battles, allowed her to pass through their places. As she passed through each temple, she could feel the energies of each saint, touching her soul, making her feel as a true inhabitant of the place.  Maybe it was gratitude for her deeds during the battles, she was not sure of that. Nevertheless, the woman kept for herself the feeling of the Fifth Temple’s Guardian’s cosmos touching hers. Aioria’s cosmos made her doubt about what she had decided.  That had never happened to her with Seiya.  It was a feeling Shaina didn’t like whatsoever.  She had already doubted everything she knew before seeing him that night.  Now, she knew there was no turning back.  Her final decision had been made.

Shaina walked all the way up the steps and into the Pope’s Temple and flared her cosmos there.  And she walked to the centre of the little space where the Pope’s audience room was.  The statue on top of the Zodiac Houses and before the Pope’s and Athena’s temple was imposing. It was strange to think that the Goddess they all worshiped was the same petite woman they could all see every day. The marble of the place was somewhat scary.  Years of tradition and history had passed and yet it remained untouched.  So different from the image the world outside had of it. Ruins here and there, people had always said, however, what Shaina contemplated before her, were the stones which had silently witnessed Athena’s and her Saints’ legacy.

Her feet pressing the hard ground and the clanking of her shoes on the marble, were the only sounds accompanying her.

The Saint had Ophiuchus hanging on her shoulders, and in an uncanny manner, it felt as if it didn’t weigh an ounce. The weight of heart, however, was too much.  In the past hours, her life had been turned head to heels and for the first time in it, Shaina felt she had no control over herself.  Though it was not dawn yet, she was determined to end that entire situation immediately, for it was all nothing but troublesome.

Shaina made her cosmos shine.  The woman could see around her, the flickering lightening mixed with the purple energy emanating from her ken.  It was bright and menacing, yet, it intended no harm. Her senses were all awakened. After not having slept at all that night, and her uncontrolled feelings, she felt she needed to warn everyone around her that she was not at ease.

In fact, it was Athena whom she was calling. The Goddess’ chamber was in the back of the Pope’s temple and Shaina knew she was to answer to her call anytime soon. She needed to talk to Athena desperately, for she was the only one who could help her do something to solve the puzzle her life had become.  Athena had been soundly sleeping.  The Goddess had grown to love Sanctuary in a manner she hadn’t believed possible. It had been after spending some time there, that she had learnt Sanctuary and her were one and the same. It had been her godly energy, along with the energies of the Saints that had maintained the place alive for many millennia.

However, the core of the place was still her. Sanctuary spoke to her clearly, whether she was awake or asleep, and she had also been learning how to listen to it. For that reason, when Shaina stood so near her and let her know she was there, Athena was already waiting. The Goddess could sense in the woman’s cosmos what others couldn’t.  It saddened her, though, to know that that time of peace had meant nothing to Shaina. She ran and crossed her chamber and entered the place to meet her Korê.  “Shaina?  What are you doing here at this time? She asked appearing unknowledgeable to her being there.  Yet, seeing Ophiuchus made her fear the worst for it was something that took her aback. Feeling terribly awkward at the graveness in Shaina’s attitude.

The Amazon was waiting for her outside the Pope’s Temple, in the small square-like place where Saga had once faced Athena and had ultimately died.  She dared not go any further, which let her see how dark that night was.  Shaina froze for an instant.  Athena’s statue seemed to be looking down at her, as if in a protective kind of way.  For a second, Shaina felt overwhelmed at her stay in Sanctuary.  At her toughness and endurance.  At all the things she had had to go through just to prove herself worthy of her Goddess and become a Silver Saint.  The temples stood below where she was standing herself.  The scenery before her, reminded her of all the blood she had shed, though it had all happened in the twisted way she had behaved in the past. All the times she had interfered just to make of Sanctuary a better place.  Behind her, however, was the Pope’s chamber and behind it, the chamber of the Goddess. She knew Athena was there—and that so was Seiya.  When Shaina heard the steps approaching, she turned and knelt.   The woman then stood and came toward Athena, leaving the box on the ground between them.

“I can’t stay. I’m not worthy of you, or Ophiuchus.”  Her voice sounded wounded, broken.  It also sounded secure and determined.  Athena knew she should have prevented something like that. She had been too immersed in her own affairs and those of her close ones, that she had really not paid attention to the others around them

Athena also knew she had ditched Shaina on purpose. That was her hidden sin. It hadn’t mattered to her what service the Amazon had given her.  Athena had simply acted in shameless jealousy and was now desperately attempting to amend her wrongdoing.

“Shaina, you cannot leave.  Sanctuary is your place…”

“It’s not!”  Shaina responded disrespectfully interrupting Athena who had walked closer to her. Athena touched the mask; her own cosmos had begun to shine some instants before.  The Goddess knew.  That mask had been changed many a time already.  It had been broken, violated, tainted, and she looked through the cold metal, to reach Shaina and know better.  Athena finally removed the woman’s mask, revealing her face to her one more time. It was the first time she truly looked at Shaina.  Never before had she even tried to do so, and inside, the Goddess felt she had failed. 

In the ancient times, the mask was a way of protecting her female warriors from men.  Many a person had always believed Athena wanted them to forget who they were, and hide their femininity, when it was nothing of the like.  Athena had always only sought for a way to keep the womanhood secrets away from indiscrete looks and unreliable outsiders.  She had always meant to keep them safe, yet at the moment, she wasn’t certain of her actions.  Whether a God or a human, every being makes decisions that alter their lives.  The difference is that a God’s decisions only alter others’ lives. And it was in the weepy eyes of the Amazon that Athena realised how hurt Shaina was and how much she had been responsible for that.

“Shaina…”

“Let me go, please,” Shaina said as if a plea, for being before Athena had only proven her how insignificant she had been and still was near her.  In her, Athena saw what a wrong decision could make.  She blamed it on the mask.  To her, Shaina’s conundrum began and ended in the mask. “They’ve seen my face, and I haven’t killed any of them.” Shaina had to accept that up to that moment, she had only run from her thoughts and her feelings; accepting them at times to deny them once again at others.  Athena understood. Shaina’s warrior side was giving some space to the woman in her to come to live and become one with the other.

“Shaina stop, please.” Athena saw her, just as a mother would.  As a Goddess should. She decided to take the blame and atone for Shaina.  It had been her, Athena who had ruined Shaina’s possibilities of knowing love and care.   It had been her who had taken Seiya away, though there have never actually been anything between them, except for a few fights, but she understood that for Shaina an unrequited love had left deep scars she herself would not know how to heal.  She was the one who had imposed the masks on them no matter what the reasons, and she felt the urge to give console to the other, “forgive my actions from the past, my brave Ophiuchus and forgive my humanity, my dearest Shaina.”

The Goddess touched her face tenderly, noticing how Shaina’s skin was soft and her expression more than beautiful despite that she had prevented herself from crying.  Athena wiped away the woman’s tears and smiled faintly.

“You’re free to go as much as you’re free to return.”

Shaina’s eyes didn’t hide her surprise, nor did her voice.  “Athena…”

“You’ve earned your place in this Sanctuary. You’re my Korê, my warrior, my Ophiuchus.”  Athena said and Shaina nodded. “Please, don’t take it all for granted.  You never know what surprises await you.”

The Goddess walked silently inside the Pope’s temple, leading Shaina behind her. The Chamber of the Armours laid ahead, right behind the Pope’s throne. Every armour should be there when their Masters where in Sanctuary. It was perhaps where the real power of the placed lived; for every armour still had in it, the remnants of the power and service of their bearers, new and old. On the highest shelves, the Golden Armours were. Six for the fallen Saints. Five for the living ones and Libra’s who had sent it there to serve Athena. In the middle shelves, those of the Silver saints.  And finally on the bottom shelves, those of the Bronze Saints.

Shaina grinned. She had never wanted Ophiuchus to be there, no mattered if she was in Sanctuary. The woman left her armour in the place marked by the caduceus. Ophiuchus was to stay there until she returned since it was the best place for it. Then, she knelt before her Goddess again and walked out of the Temple.

Seiya had sensed Shaina’s cosmos and had stayed in the back of the place, waiting just in case Athena needed him. He had always known about Shaina’s feelings toward him and thought that something related to that were happening between them.  That night Shaina was showing Athena her face.  It struck him to realise how different it was from the last time he had seen it. To him, Shaina seemed hurt. Seiya remained in the back of the place. It was not until he sensed Shaina’s leaving that he finally came into the room and hugged Athena, putting his chin in the space between her neck and her shoulders.  “Is everything OK?”  He finally asked expecting Athena to tell him something.

“It is, my love.”  Athena responded, showing she didn’t wish to speak about the matter, “Let’s go back to sleep, we still have some hours ahead.” 

He smiled at her and held her hand, walking back with her into their chamber. 

 


	2. Revelations

**II. Revelations**

 

 

Shaina was passing through Aioria’s Temple when he jumped out of his bed in the very moment he had felt her.  Aioria had been on his bed trying to sleep and hadn’t being able to do it.  Many a sort of a dream he had had already and Shaina had always been by his side in them.  He would hold her in his arms, or he would just sit next to her, holding her hand in silence.  When he was thinking about those dreams, he felt her crossing the Leo Temple.   The man ran barefoot to the door, which communicated his private rooms with the exterior; not sure if coming out was the right thing to do. Aioria hid in the darkness of the place. The moon seemed to want to avoid him and his temple, for the night looked darker than it did some hours before. The man silently stood there, his mind yelling for a sight of her; one more time, he pleaded in a whisper.  There were no reasons for him to be there anyway, waiting for that second of her company. Perhaps those dreams were truly affecting him, and his longing for her seemed too overwhelming. Aioria thought Shaina to be unreachable; hence, he didn’t mind her not knowing he was waiting for her. 

However, having recently acknowledged his feelings, what had happened with Marine just a few hours ago; how unexpected it had all been, and yet how fitting it all seemed.  The man had been trying to make it all simpler so that he could actually understand his current state of mind.  He couldn’t do so, though, for as soon as he made it all clear, it became uncanny yet again.

How wicked the games of the Gods were— for the past months, after all the battles were over; his life had been torture, and after his encounter with Marine, he had finally accepted the reason.  Despite being uncommon, his feeling was true and he had come to terms with it throughout the night.  However, he still doubted it.  Leo wanted Shaina; he needed her.

“Ophiuchus Shaina.” Aioria said as if she could listen to his whispers.  “Shaina.”  He repeated, and his cosmos shone bright, telling her she could pass, hiding beneath that he wished to share a moment with her, to have her by his side, just there, even if in silence, but just to have her close.  That he knew. How could it be to have a little conversation?  What if she giggled? The man moved his hand through his hair, smirking.

Nevertheless, reality is another thing, and it is not always possible to get what your heart desires, but, what if your heart could obtain what it seeks?  Then, what would a person do?  Leo had no answer for that.  He feared the questions for he knew he would give it all up just for that answer.  Would his Goddess ever forgive his blasphemy?  He would never know, for he dared not ask.

His heart was heavier than ever before. Many a question was growing in his mind. Why was she going up the twelve temples at that hour? Who was she looking for up there? The man shook his head with violence.  It was not important. He had shared something with her for the second time that night.  First in the river, now in Leo’s.

After a while, Leo was not certain how long had it been, he felt her passing through the Temple again.  This time she was walking down the steps, the opposite way and so, he walked out.  The man hid his cosmos and went out, like a lion, crouching before attacking his prey.  He stood behind a column, staring at the female figure walking in there, the wind bringing him the smell of her.  He closed his eyes smelling, lost in it.  Enjoying it.  The footsteps suddenly stopped.  Aioria could hear his heart beat almost as if it were out of his chest and near his ear; but soon they began again; slower this time, but unmistakable. Shaina was walking out.

He sighed when she was gone.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

“Marine, what are you doing here?”

Shaina asked when she saw the other woman walk by the grave.  She had just talked to the Goddess and had meant to say goodbye to Cassius.  Eagle looked at her without saying a word, still trying to understand the events of that evening.

“Marine, I’m talking to you!”

“And I’m not answering, am I Shaina?”

Ophiuchus backed up, staring back at the cold stone of the grave.  At first she hesitated before doing anything; she was not sure as to what to do regarding Marine, for something truly wrong must have happened for Eagle to speak like that.  Shaina looked at her, their two cold silver masks staring at each other.  Marine’s cosmos was uninviting and almost challenging, which was the last thing Ophiuchus wanted that night.  In a twisted way they were the same, but she knew the mere offering of help would have been awkward for both of them.  Always rivals, always on opposite sides, pretending to be good friends wasn’t a natural thing between them.

Cassius’ grave was just a few meters from her cottage, Aioria had wanted it that way; or at least, that’s what Seiya had said once. Pegasus had also mentioned Aioria saying Cassius could protect Shaina from the place where he laid and well, Shaina could see him from her cottage as well Seiya had told her all this one day when he went there to pay his respects to her apprentice’s death. Seiya had also said he was sure Cassius was truly watching over her.  Shaina had honestly smiled and bowed slightly, accepting his words; after all Pegasus had been right.  Cassius had been literally looking after her since she had felt protected all this time, the love she never dared feel became a reality she had come to accept.

It had been a night of changes for her, for that reason, Snake took her mask off one more time.  She thought about how in the past twenty-four hours, she had taken it off more times than in her entire life, and then Shaina started to pray.  It was perhaps the first prayer she had ever learnt.  It was old, said in her mother’s tongue, modified to suit Athena on whom she believed.  The woman said the words with all her heart so that Athena would not be mad at her for her heresy. It didn’t matter, she said to herself, it was a lesser pain having gone through all the things she had gone through. She had always felt Cassius as someone close.  He had been her disciple after all.  Ophiuchus had asked of him more than he had been able to give.  Yet, deep inside, she had known he could have done it.  He, Cassius, had deserved an armour, though Pegasus hadn’t chosen him.  It had been her doing, her blindness that didn’t let her obtain what was best for him. It was her responsibility and she had to atone for it in every single way she could.  Finally, Shaina knelt before the grave.  The cold rough stones hurt her knee enough for her to endure it.  The woman had never really cared about anything else but Cassius since he had died and her own world had changed.  The grass was wet and her pants and knee began to get wet thanks to it.

Marine had been looking at Shaina, observing her every move.  It was uncanny the way Shaina was behaving.  She had always been a visceral warrior, one that knew the facts and took action, not one that pondered anything.  Marine let her head fall to one side, listening to the sort of humming of the other. She had heard that language before, when Shaina and her sister had arrived at Sanctuary, and she knew they always used it before going to bed.

_“Atena, Madre nostra,!_

_Sia santificato il tuo nome._

_Venga il tuo regno..._

_Sia fatta la tua volontá._

_Come in cielo cosí in terra.”_

“What are you doing?”  Eagle asked.  Shaina remained immersed in what she was doing.  Her mother used to tell her that is she was focused she could make it all; otherwise, talking to God would have been futile. And Shaina had always done it, even when God had changed His name and had become Athena, and she’d changed the prayer to fit her Goddess. 

_“Dacci oggi il nostro pane quotidiano,_

_E rimetti a noi i nostri debiti,_

_Come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori._

_E non ci indurre in tentazione,_

_Ma liberaci dal male.”_

She didn’t mark herself with the sign of the cross on her chest.  The woman didn’t even remember how to do it, and so, she just remained there, saying the final words and then she fell silent for a few more seconds.  It was time to go.  That evening, everything reminded her of her childhood and what she had just done was a proof of that.

Ophiuchus stood up and started to walk back to her cottage.  Many things needed to be arranged and she meant to leave as quickly as possible. It was then that Marine truly saw her. The marble-like face, the immaculate looks.  Her eyes.

“They are green.” She heard Marine saying while passing near her.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your eyes, they are green.”

“Marine, what are you talking about?”  Shaina asked while stopping and turning to look at Marine, surprised by the other’s words.

“He was talking about her eyes…hers…” Marine murmured her hand on her mouth and lost in her thoughts.  Marine didn’t even realise that she was actually speaking aloud.  Marine could see Shaina talking but couldn’t hear her words.

“Marine…Marine…”  Snake said, then she stood next to Eagle and shook her.

“Let go of me!” Marine yelled, freeing herself from Shaina’s grip.  Marine couldn’t understand.  What if they had become intimate and she had just been played by them? Marine felt the world falling on her shoulders at that second.  Her actions of the past came back to her, haunting her.  All those doubts were eating her formerly eased soul.  The sensations on her body were almost suffocating. 

Shaina let her be.  She had more serious issues to deal with now.  Marine had never needed her before, and that evening it wouldn’t be any different.  On the contrary, both of them had always been self-sufficient and had needed no one’s help. 

The Amazon just stood there, watching Shaina in silence.  Women can’t be fooled.  They would need one word, perhaps two to understand a whole life. To her dislike, Marine had been coming to terms with the fact that she wasn’t only a warrior. She was also a woman. One who had had love in front of her for many a year and had also overlooked it.  That was one of those moments of epiphany.  Marine understood Aioria’s words; _‘They’re not green’  ‘I can’t love you’_ , he had said.  Leo was in love with green eyes.  The very ones she didn’t have.

Marine was watching each of Shaina’s movements carefully.  She had never feared Shaina, but had always respected her. To her, Shaina was a tenacious warrior; a very powerful one, besides, during the latest battles, Shaina had also proven a very handy addition to their rebellion.  No matter the reasons, Shaina had finally faced Sanctuary’s and Athena’s enemies. However, she still felt that Shaina had done something that might have given her an advantage. It was then that Marine laughed to herself.  The most probable situation was that Ophiuchus didn’t know what her mind was inventing. Eagle couldn’t help herself, though. She was just wandering in her thoughts, asking herself how Aioria knew Shaina’s eyes were green, not finding any answers to her questions.

“Shaina—” she finally said, while the other woman was standing ready to leave and turned to her.  “Who has seen your face—ever?

Shaina stood up.  She had her mask in her hand and looked at it thinking about how to answer Marine’s question and not feel more ashamed. “Seiya and Aioria…” she answered.

“I understand…” Marine began to say interrupting her.  There was a feeling growing within her; one that was making her ask more questions to herself.  She stopped thinking when she noticed Shaina was not finished.

“They saw my face when I tried to kill Seiya at the hospital…it happened before the Battle of the Twelve Temples; later, when the battle of against Poseidon took place, the rest of the Bronze Saints saw my face as well.”

“Shaina…why—”

“That’s my shame Marine.  Mine alone and that’s why I’m leaving.” Shaina responded at once, not wanting to hear the other patronising her.

The two women stood there in silence, one next to the other but not really acknowledging their presence.  Marine was trying to understand everything she had just heard.  To her, every word Shaina said was a confirmation that it was Shaina of whom Aioria had spoken before.  Time froze, she thought, though it was her tears trying to find their way from his eyes and down his cheeks what made her realise what she was doing.  She held her tears, though.  It was not the place, nor the moment to have a break down. 

There were so many things she might have wanted to say, yet, she decided not to do a thing.  Apprehension, perhaps caution, prevented her from doing anything.

“Where are you going?” She finally asked, knowing it was inevitable not to ask.

“Home…maybe.” Shaina let her voice linger with the words still in her mouth.  She could taste the bitter flavour in what she’d said and grimaced.  Home was supposed to mean warmth, yet it meant cold to her. It also meant going back to a place she never desired to return to, and yet at the same time, the thrill of doing it, of facing her past was overwhelming.

Both Korês remained silent while Shaina enjoyed her final moments in the place.  Marine was observing her, trying to fathom from her covered face all the reasons she needed to stop blaming Shaina, or just keep on blaming her altogether.  The woman then saw Ophiuchus who had started to walk, waving her hand goodbye, then putting her hands in her pockets as she moved away. 

Although Marine waited until Shaina disappeared, the latter decided not to look at the other woman.  There were just a couple of hours before dawn and it was the perfect moment to leave.

Neither Snake nor Eagle pronounced a goodbye. The words weren’t necessary and neither one of them felt the other was actually worthy.

It was better if she avoided any confrontation, Shaina thought.  Things were not easy for anyone, and she didn’t have any rights to make it all worse. Shaina walked in silence to her cottage. The rocky path allowed her to kick a few pebbles as she advanced.  Somewhat, she felt lighter, and that was fine, she said to herself. To her disappointment however, someone was waiting for her.  One of Athena’s priestess stood motionless near her house door.

“Lady Ophiuchus,” the woman began to say and then bowed before her.  Shaina leaned her head a little as a sign of respect towards her and asked her to speak.  “The Goddess has sent you this and says she’s not taking no for an answer.”  The woman stretched her hands, showing a small leather bag and held it before Shaina, with outmost respect. Behind her mask, Shaina raised her brow while she tilted her head to one side.  Next, out of curiosity than concern, she took the small bag and opened it, finding a large amount of money in it.  The woman was already leaving when Shaina meant to reply.  Snake managed to mumble something that sounded as a curse nobody heard and gritted her teeth.

Once again, her fate had mocked her.

Alone in the dark, Shaina lifted her head and allowed herself a moon bath.  She took the bag to her chest, laughing at the predicament it’d meant for her to accept Athena’s will after everything they have gone through; yet at the same time, she knew she would always accept her orders and follow them without any hesitations. After all, weren’t their demons already exorcised?  Shaina sighed.

_‘Is everything OK?’_

_‘Yes, my love…’_

She had heard them talk when she was leaving the Temple—and then, she thought of Seiya and felt nothing.  Shaina sighed again.  It was as if all those previous months; her fighting against Pegasus, against herself because of her feelings, had happened many years ago. It felt so bizarre, and still, her talk with Athena, the fact that Seiya calling Athena his love hadn’t bothered her whatsoever for her feelings for Seiya weren’t there anymore. However Marine smelt of Aioria, and she couldn’t help the feelings, though she couldn’t call them jealousy; after all nothing had ever happened between her and Aioria anyways. The thought of that, made her feel uncomfortable. 

Shaina entered the place, picked her fewest things and left.  She walked down, heading right to Athens not knowing if coming back was indeed an option or not.  In fact, Shaina didn’t want to think about it either. 

In her mind, there were things way more important than Sanctuary.  There was the urge to find herself before ever being on Athena’s service again. She felt divided inside, and she needed to feel whole before carry on with her life in the Holy place. Then, determined, she simply closed the door behind her and finally walked away. 

There were no guards around and she could leave quickly without being stopped. She walked and didn’t look back.  Shaina knew too well that if she did so despite her determination, she would run back to the place, and she couldn’t allow herself to do it.  She might even run to the fifth temple, and maybe then, just maybe, she’d open her heart, and speak her fears to the temple’s owner. What would be Aioria’s answer, if she ever did that, she wondered, then she sighed at the thought.  She breathed deeply when she found herself standing on the beach near Piraeus Port. Her steps had been steady and she didn’t count the time, or the steps taken to get to that place. Rodhorios was not that near to Piraeus, but well, that was not really important after all.  From where she was standing, Shaina could see many a ship ready to sail, awaiting for their owners and their sailors to take them to the sea.  Some of the local fishermen were just walking along the place, looking for those ships she’d just been watching; one at the time, none of them was noticing her.

When she became aware of that, she also realised she was still wearing her mask.  It had never been a predicament for her, on the contrary; however, in that morning, she took advantage of the situation and knowing she didn’t want to walk with it on, she took her mask off.  The feeling of the wind gently caressing her face, made her feel excited.

With her bare eyes as if brand new, she looked at every thing around her as if it for the first time, making her feel overwhelmed. The Korê walked to the sea, her clothes and shoes getting soaked wet by it.  She screamed full of joy and happiness and although she felt like it, still, she didn’t cry.  Not even because of joy.

In that morning, the sky and the ocean were bluer than usual.  The sun was brighter and as she breathed deep, her nose brought her smells she didn’t have any recollection of.  She held her mask tighter, looking at it as a strange yet familiar object.  Shaina laughed loud, knowing that the next time she would wear it—if ever—she would have no regrets or sorrow. She put it in the small bag and kept walking.

 

 

*       *       *

 

Athena had ordered the construction of a dining room adjacent to the main square in front of the Pope’s temple. It was not that she was against the idea of everybody living their own lives and minding their own affairs, however, it was the need to feel them all close somehow, and recover some of the time they didn’t spend together before.

Two big tables had been placed at the centre of the room; they were made of the most pristine white marble, and were decorated with the most delicate table cloth embroidered by the maidens of the place. The space between them was empty, so that they could be served and the Goddess and her saints all had a chair carved with their zodiac symbols always ready for them.

Each morning, plates from all over Greece were served there; being the Cretan dishes their favourites.  Something they all learnt to enjoy was eating bread with jam and butter spread on it−a habit courtesy of Seiya, of course− and wine for some wasn’t an option anymore.  There were always grapes and olives which disappeared as soon as they were served, for the saints all loved them and never got tired of them.  New servings of those were placed on the tables again.

Aldebaran had been spending a long time at the kitchen lately.  Everybody knew how much he liked to cook, then proving the good chef he was, wasn’t really a surprise.

That morning, when Aioria entered into the big dining room, the first thing he noticed was that Shaina wasn’t there, and since it was a custom already to be together for the meals, he found it strange.

Shaina was not there, and he smirked. Marine was silently sitting at the end of the tables, wearing a half mask that reached up to the point of her nose, but still a mask, he told himself.

Aioria sat, taking the last empty spot at the table, which happened to be next to Athena’s and right in front of Marine. The Goddess stood up and greeted them, allowing breakfast to begin.   All of them were very comfortable speaking and sharing but he felt it was not right at all.  Shaina wasn’t there and she was certainly not on a mission.  It was the first time in a very long time that they could all be together and yet she was gone.  Aioria started lamenting to himself.  He was complaining about his lack of consciousness.  If only he had realised his feelings towards Shaina before.  If only he could’ve spoken openly and had embraced that love long ago. Everything felt wrong and just having Marine right across from where he as wasn’t helping him whatsoever. He sighed, letting the spoon fall into his cereal bowl. 

“Is there something wrong, Aioria?” 

The Saint looked at Athena who had just spoken; he looked at her, trying to hide his fears, but couldn’t lie to her, although his words did.  Athena let out her motherly side and looked at him with tender eyes.  If her instinct was correct, and if surely was, Aioria was the reflection of the Shaina he’d seen hours before, still Shaina had some certainty that Aioria lacked. The Goddess waited until he finally spoke.

“I’m just not hungry, that’s all My Lady.”  

Athena looked at him carefully. She understood, of course she did. It was obvious to her and her godly cosmos what was happening to her Saint, however, she said nothing. Shaina had trusted and opened her heart to her and she was going to honour their trust.

Aioria lowered his head and took the spoon again, bringing it to his mouth.  He was making a great effort not only for not looking at Marine directly, but also for not allowing himself to lose his temper right there.  He felt impotent and breathed deeply. He’d started to feel claustrophobic, like a lion locked in a cage.

Where was she? He repeated to himself.  He wanted to see her. 

Maybe she was sick, or maybe she was training; but she had never disobeyed Athena’s wishes, Aioria started walking heading nowhere.  Outside, he soon found himself sitting on the steps, the sunlight was hitting on his face, making it look tanner than it actually was; revealing his concern in his eyes.

“Hey buddy, are you staying?”

Milo’s words made no sense to him, he didn’t even try to understand them, and when he could no longer bear it, he looked at the Scorpio Saint. “I’m sorry, Milo.”  He said shaking his head. “I just need to be alone right now.  I’ll see you later.” 

"Is everything OK? Kitten?"

The young man smiled faintly and stood up following Milo down the path of the temples, passing him.  Aioria walked away, leaving the other with a surprised expression on his face. He was walking absent-mindedly. He didn’t notice nor did he hear what Milo was saying to him.  He just kept walking until he left Sanctuary behind.

He felt like he was dying inside.  Leo didn’t want to give a name to what he was feeling but it was not something he could actually avoid anymore.

The Saint walked to the beach and sat right there. “Oh Athena, take this pain away from me.” He muttered.  It was so painful—he, Marine and Shaina had gotten into a situation he had never meant to happen.

He had loved Marine, he knew that too well, and wasn’t going to deny it.  More than a year ago, when his brother was still a traitor, Seiya an apprentice and Athena was in Sanctuary, he would have given it all only for her.

However, what would she have been willing to do for him?  He didn’t know and was sure he would never find out now, for his feelings for her had vanished long ago, when he had got tired of waiting for a sign of her trust. She had never trusted him, which was something he couldn’t overlook.  Shaina didn’t trust him either, did she? How could she trust him, when he had badly injured her not once but twice:  one, when Shaina got between Seiya and him and his bolt was flying towards the first.  The other one, when he had just killed Cassius and she wanted to help Seiya.

Seiya—Shaina—

Damn it!

His feelings were as much a mess as he himself was.

Marine—Seiya—Shaina—

His green eyes sparkled once again at the memories.  He had seen her eyes for the first time in Japan— _her_ eyes.  As green as olive.  As green as his own.  A bunch of imaginary butterflies flew around his stomach, creating a marvellous void in his abdomen.  He smiled, the way people do before starting to cry.  That day, Aioria had seen truth and strength in those same eyes.  And he had also felt her body between his arms, also two times.  Both of them he had wounded her.  He sighed this time.

He had always known the power of the great warrior in her.   However, the night before, in a hidden river behind a sacred place, he had also seen the beautiful woman she was.  He couldn’t help it and blushed.  

She was not only beautiful or powerful—she was simply perfect.  Perfect.

Aioria got up and started to walk along the beach.  He used to walk when he was nervous. He couldn’t help it to think about her.  And in his memories he remembered the feelings of the quick touch of her skin when he had taken her to her small cottage after hurting her the two times—it was soft and tender, contrasting with the strength and ferocity her cosmos emanated.  For a moment he closed his eyes and imagined the touch of her skin and the look of her eyes upon him.

Just to be with her; holding her between his arms, filling his senses with her smell.  Just that—to hold her and never let go. 

“I love you.” He whispered to the wind after many an hour of being there.

Later, he returned to Sanctuary.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

Shaina had taken a plane that took her to Italy; Athena’s money was being of some use after all.  She had thought that maybe if she went to a place she could call home, then she might have found the place for her in the world; a place where she would fit in.  So, she went home as she had told Marine she would.     

Shaina felt strange standing in that place. She had been told about Italy's geographical shape, she had also seen it on maps, but it was weird to be standing there.  She was finally in Catania, on Sicily Island.  After many years, she had returned.  And her journey had begun. 

Ophiuchus started to move from one place to the other looking for the only thing she actually remembered from that island.  She couldn’t even count the days for they were passing just too fast; however, the worst part of all was that she was missing Sanctuary and she hadn’t really been far for too long.  A few hours at most.  She started to miss her small cottage, the other amazons as well as training with them, she was even missing Marine. In her reveries, the one she missed the most was Aioria, which didn’t make it any easier for her.

Seiya was there in her thoughts, too, but it was just not the same.  Her memories were clear but the feeling had slowly been fading away.

By Athena, if only she could be worthy of Aioria—but she wasn’t.  She was a Korê, and according to the law, seeing an Amazon’s face was a humiliation even worse than seeing her nude and she was forced to either kill or love the one who might dishonour her. No, she told herself, there wasn’t a chance for the man who’d seen a Korê’s face to not fight for his life nor was there a possibility that he could love her, for no man had heard or cared little about such an ancient tradition.

Seiya had been the first one to see her face and that hadn’t been what she’d expected.  On one side Seiya hadn’t loved her and never would, on the other, though she’d fought to have him see her power and had disguised that under the masquerade of fighting for her honour, she couldn’t care any less about him anymore. Everybody involved in the fight against Poseidon had also seen her face; even the Gold Saints who had received them at their return from Atlantis.

Aioria…he’d seen her in the garden, back from Atlantis, in the river just a few nights before, and only the Goddess knew what he thought of her. Besides, she was sure he didn’t love her.  The night she had left, Marine had smelt of him.  It wasn’t an intimate smell at all, but it was the same smell she had sensed in herself the two times he had carried her in his arms, she remembered it well; and it had made her envy Marine.  She still did; as much as she had envied her Goddess some time before.

She felt unworthy, not only had she gone through the whole being-in-love-with-the-guy-who-saw-your-face once with Seiya, now she was regretting it even more deeply for she knew it shouldn’t have happened to her twice.  And to make everything worse, with Aioria she didn’t feel like trying to kill him just because she loved him.  This time, she wanted to embrace that love and forget about everything that could prevent her from giving in to it.

Shaina kept walking, following her memories.  She had been too little when she had left Catania. Before she had been cast away, Geist used to tell her about the place, the people and their parents. 

People looked at her in a bizarre way. Her clothes were not the regular ones people would wear in the small town, so she went to the nearest shop she found and bought some new ones.  She smiled when she saw her reflection in the mirror, and gasped when she paid more attention to her eyes. They looked different. Actually, they were different. There was not hate in them anymore.  There were not any recognizable turbulent emotions in them; they were just peaceful. As peaceful as she’d never seen them before.  She didn’t know why nor could she fathom the reason and she had to admit to herself that she was indeed, too scared to ask. 

Shaina could just feel it was all because she wasn’t in Sanctuary anymore, and only because of that, her journey was of more worth.  
She left the place with a half smile on her face.  There couldn’t be a person who knew her that could recognise her if they saw her then.

The dress really suited her, although she was feeling really strange wearing one, especially because that one left her legs from her knees down to everybody’s sight.  She was wearing a pair of sandals with delicate leather laces that she tied around her ankles.  In the small shop, she’d found something else: a silver chain with a pendant with the shape of the silhouette of a woman seemingly dancing, for  her arms were lifted in the air and a snake wrapped around her body, ascending from her feet up to her waist. Shaina knew that there were no coincidences in the universe and purchased it. In her mind, there couldn't be a better representation for Ophiuchus. She knew the serpent holder was a man, but it was hers now; and the snake was a symbol of femininity. She smiled more widely this time for it’d surprised her when she found it, but she was happy. That ‘coincidence’ was like an omen that her journey to Catania would be what she expected it to be. She put the chain around her neck and wore it with pride, although nobody but her knew the reason.  

Now that she thought about it, not even she could have recognised herself.

Whenever she was walking by, men turned to look at her.  She didn’t care about it, though. All those many years surrounded by men, with most of them being her inferior in rank and the rest not being good enough to even get involved with her, had allowed her to dismiss their words and nonsense.  She paid no attention to them and there were a couple of times when she’d meant to give those bothering her, a sample of her ken. 

She stood by a park and sat at the edge of the big fountain there was in the middle of the place and began to eat some fruit.  The park was in fact a square that led to the main buildings in town. She could see the school, the church, and the town hall; the main grocery store and the market place on the other side of the street.  It was then that she noticed something familiar and looked for her bag.  Shaina got a very old picture from it. A gorgeous woman and a very handsome man were sitting on the steps in front of a church; each of them had a girl on their laps.  The girls were smiling as if the picture had just been taken. The photograph was too old and damaged because of the time; it was yellow and smelt of old things; but the identity of the girls couldn’t have been missed: Geist was in their father’s lap while Shaina was in her mother’s. All of them were smiling and she reckoned that must’ve been the last time they’d done so.

Shaina breathed deep and put the photograph on her own lap, resting her hands on it.  She turned her head to both sides and then stopped, looking intently in front of her, to the church that was there.  The church stood tall and firm behind columns with the shape of catholic saints. The woman hesitated a couple of more times, putting the photograph in front of her and them moving it away just to see that the scenery didn’t change much. She was before the same church that she’d just seen in the picture.

She stood up and walked towards the church. She was wondering about what she might find inside, but discarded every thought.  There wasn’t a way to find anything from her past in there. Her parents were surely dead at the moment and not a person would even remember a child who’d disappeared many years before.  Soon, she was pushing open a heavy wooden door and walked in.

A strong smell of burnt wax filled her nose, forcing her to cover her nose and mouth with her hand.  She didn’t mean to be disrespectful but it was also true that she wasn’t used to that; not anymore, at least, and the feeling wasn’t physically pleasant. The Mediterranean heat became thicker and along with the smell of candles, it triggered memories lost for the Amazon.  The place was a bit dark and while she adjusted her eyes to it, she saw a figure; an old priest who was by the altar, lighting more candles.  Shaina heard him talk to his assistant and found out it was time for the rosary prayers, so she lifted her head to see the Holy Virgin Mary on one side of the altar, as she was prepared with flowers to receive her devotees.

Shaina smiled.  That would’ve been what she’d do if it were Athena the one to worship.

“Excuse me, Father.” She said in a low voice.  The man saw her and smiled responding back.

“May I help you?” She smiled and looked at him. She meant to form the words in Italian but couldn’t.  Before she even tried to use Greek again, she pulled the picture forward and showed it to the priest, who felt awkward by not being able to fully understand her actions.

The priest looked at the picture and then back at her. Shaina was still trying to say something until she decided Greek had to suffice for her to communicate.

“I’m looking for the adults in the photograph, Father.”

The man looked at her and stared at her eyes.  The pupil was round and big, as if awareness had hit him. Of course, he recognised Veronica, Patrizio and the girls.  Yet, the woman in front of her, looked exactly like the youngest of them.

“Francesca…” He muttered astonished.


	3. Home

**III. Home**

 

 

Aioria spent the rest of the day at the beach, his heart was a mix of contradictory feelings; however, on his way back to Sanctuary, he’d made a decision: he’d talk to his Goddess and would ask her about Shaina. He knew he couldn’t go on without hearing a word from her; he had to know although there were too many other thoughts running through his head. He’d thought about her being cast away from Sanctuary just like her sister Geist to her simply quitting. Whatever the prospect, he didn’t like it. He took another deep breathe trying to find what he needed to speak to his Goddess. With that thought in his head, he went to her Temple.

“I was waiting for you.” Athena said as soon as she felt his cosmos shining. The Goddess stood up from behind her desk and walked to him, asking him to take a seat by her side. “I’m all ears, Aioria.”

Leo did as she requested and after some minutes without actually saying a word, he decided to speak, “I never meant to hurt anybody.” He began, opening his heart to his Goddess, telling her about himself, about his life in Sanctuary before she had arrived there. He told her about Marine and himself, when both of them began their training. He also spoke about his feelings, about how he had respected her for years, waiting for a sign from her; something that could tell him she shared his feelings.

 “I always knew Marine and Shaina didn’t get along well, the only ‘intimate’ moments I could actually share with Marine, where the ones when Shaina had heartlessly hit her and I had to interfere. At that time, Shaina couldn’t accept Marine was helping Seiya.”

One of Athena’s maidens walked in, bringing them some fresh water to calm the afternoon’s heat. Once they finished serving them, Athena’s attention was paid back to Aioria, nodding for him to continue.

“Shaina had been tracking every step Marine took. She knew Marine would do anything to protect her pupil. Of course, I didn’t want Marine to get hurt and since she refused to fight Shaina back, I knew she was just going to let her bully her. That’s why and when I started following every step Shaina took. I didn’t want her to hurt Marine anymore but that was until the day I took the Pope’s order to kill your Bronze Saints—” Aioria hesitated. “I hurt her when I tried to hit Seiya with my bolt. I didn’t take any precautions. All I wanted to do was to kill Seiya and you that day, so that I could clean my brother’s name. I shot with all my strength. I wanted Seiya dead despite knowing him that I Was going to hurt Marine, and yet Shaina interfered. She blocked my attack with her own body...I can’t even begun to tell you what I felt: Aioros scolded me, I had to acknowledge the Pope had been lying to us, I discovered you for what you are, and then there was her too. Shaina was risking her life to protect Seiya and I couldn’t understand why she was doing it, if she was to kill him.”

Athena decided to interrupt him then, though she took notice of his trembling hands.

“Aioria, what happened that day with me is not important anymore, you had every reason to doubt. It’s all forgotten.” Athena could feel Aioria’s voice breaking. She encouraged him to go on talking.

“When I finally brought her to Sanctuary, everything was different. I couldn’t get Seiya’s attitude and it got worse when I saw how Cassius treated her. There was such reverence in his actions. It felt as if Seiya and Cassius were the artisans of what Shaina was. One, the one she loved, was moulding her attitude towards you, us Saints, and Sanctuary. The one who loved her was trying to protect her even from herself...”

“And you Aioria? What’s your part?”

“I have envied them both with all my heart. Cassius who was her apprentice and who couldn’t be close to her. The one who died so that her love could live and then Seiya, because her heart was his; because her passion took her to such lengths for him.

“I wanted that passion to burn for me, My Lady. I wanted to experience that kind of lover for me. I wanted someone to feel for me the way she felt for Seiya and without even intending it...”

“You feel in love with her.”

Aioria nodded and lowered his head, putting it in his hands. “It just happened. Marine did everything she could to keep me away from her and it worked. I couldn’t believe it at first, you know? Marine never showed me a tenth of what Shaina had already shown Seiya. And when I was alone in my House, it was Shaina’s face and eyes, her smell, the memory of her weakened heart beating what came to me.” He sighed. “Yes, My Lady. I am in love with her.”

“But…?” She asked, leaving the sentence unfinished.

“She doesn’t love me back, and I’ve dishonoured her; she’ll never forgive me for that.”

The Goddess looked at him tenderly. She knew it herself how difficult it was to tell the other about your own feelings; she had experienced it before she had actually talked to Seiya about it; now, the problem was that she knew Shaina did love Aioria, yet, she was not the one to tell him.

“Have you asked her? About dishonouring her, I mean.” Athena asked, knowing that wasn’t what was truly bothering Aioria.

The Saint looked at her. He was trying to fathom what Athena was asking him and why, yet he couldn’t.

“I’ve seen her face; she’d have to either kill me or...”

“What if she loved you, Aioria? I haven’t heard you telling about you asking her opinion; so, you don’t really know what’s going through her head, or do you?”

Speechless, Aioria stared at her. Of course he’d never considered the option of Shaina loving him back.

“I...I love her, Athena. I love her like I’ve never loved anyone before...”

Athena interrupted him one more time. “Yet you haven’t thought that she could love you too. Seiya is out of her reach. Cassius is dead and I know you two have seen each other lately. So let me ask you one thing: What would you be willing to do for that love, Leo Saint?”

“Everything.”

Athena saw the flicker in his eyes. They shone with intensity and a renewed fire started to burn in them. She knew that. Shaina had that same fierceness the night she’d left Sanctuary. She knew Aioria was telling her the truth. The doubts had finally given up to the hope growing now in his heart.

After many an hour of speaking, Aioria returned to his Temple.

 _‘Only time will show you the truth’_ His Goddess had said, and as he’d promised, he would wait. A half smile faintly showing on his face.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

She walked to the nearest Inn she found to spent the night.

_‘Francesca—’_

Shaina registered, and when she arrived in her room, she left her things on the bed and went to the closet, taking a blanket with her and then walked to the balcony. There, Shaina found a rocking chair where she sat, putting the blanket on her lap, covering her legs from the cold night; then she lifted them, her knees touching her chest.

_‘Your parents...they’d loved you very much, the two of you, but...they had to…’_

_‘They gave us away.’_

_‘Child…try to understand…the situation at that wasn’t easy…’_

_‘So?’_

She got her hair loose and passed her hands through it, using her fingers to comb it and then she shook it a little. She hugged her legs, letting her head rest on her knees, closing her eyes. Remembering.

_‘They were passing through a rough moment, and they had to make a radical decision…’_

_‘What do you mean?’_

_‘They couldn’t support you, you could’ve died and they thought you’d have a fine life with those people, but then after they hadn’t heard word from you, they thought you’d actually died…’_

_‘What did they do to us exactly?’_

_‘Those women came here, they had no faces. They had seen you at the park and knew you. They told your parents about a place where you could develop your...’potential’! That’s the word they used. They offered them some money...and they...’_

_‘They sold us? Is that what you’re saying?!’_

_‘They did what they thought was best!’_

_‘We would have wanted to stay!’_

_‘It wasn’t for you to decide!’_

_‘It is now!’_

The words kept repeating themselves in her head. She cried. She was mourning the family she’d had once but no longer existed. For the parents that had abandoned her and her sister; for the sister she had lost thanks to the manoeuvres made by the evil Pope and of course, the intervention of the _Bronzies_.

_‘Your mother…she lives still.’_

_‘She does?’_

_‘Would you like to see her?’_

_‘Father…would you hear my confession?’_

_‘Of course child, I understand the pain and the sorrow you’re going through now, tell me’_

Shaina felt very angry at that moment. Had she known things were to be like that, she would’ve never dared go to the Island. Her cosmos had been bright in the middle of the dark church; nobody able to see it, or feel it. She remembered seeing pity in the Priest’s eyes when he looked at her. Those blue eyes that had stared at her as if she should be understood or forgiven, when she knew she shouldn’t be either.

At all.

_‘Forgive me Father, for I have sinned…’_

_‘Yes, child?’_

_‘Forgive me for I have sinned against my Goddess…’_

_‘Child, what are you saying? Goddess? There’s no other God than the Lord Almighty…’_

_‘I have sinned against my Goddess Athena; I have dishonoured her by coming here to look for a past that is no longer mine…’_

Those very blue eyes had looked at her as if she were some kind of lunatic; in disbelief. Her green eyes had looked back at him with pride and honour for she was coming to terms with the fact that she was indeed Athena’s. That her Goddess hadn’t abandoned her and that she was the mother she always knew in her heart. That she would willingly –more than ever− fight for and die for her.

Her cosmos was shining brighter, waves of her electrical ken flowing all over her body, invisible to the rest, but too well known to her, her soul, her essence was there, reminding her of her true self.

_‘…forgive me father for I’ve forgotten who I was in order to pursue a lie that I am not. For I am not Francesca, I am Shaina, Athena’s Korê, and certainly not the child you see in this photograph.’_

She saw herself standing and tearing the chain off her neck. Now, when she touched her skin, and remembered when she gave it to the Priest, the silvered snake wrapped around the woman’s body had felt cold against their hands.

_‘I am Shaina, Silver Saint of Ophiuchus and this is definitely, not my place.’_

She had spoken with such passion and strength that the Priest hadn’t even been able to utter a sound. Shaina sighed when she touched her bare neck once again, closing her eyes tighter, feeling the now gone chain.

_‘This is Aesculapius’ symbol, the Serpent Holder, give it to the mother that had begot me and tell her that Francesca died the same day she gave her away so that she could become Ophiuchus.’_

After that, Shaina had walked out of the church; feeling the air hitting hard against her face. She looked around, not knowing what to think, but only that that was her birth place, that her ‘mother’ was still alive, and that her entire life had changed when she’d been taken away. She’d looked into the sky and it had remained unchanged, she noticed.

 “I’m Ophiuchus Shaina.” She said to the moon that was full and seemed to be staring back at her. She sighed deeply and stood up.

“I am Ophiuchus. I am Shaina.” She said, before entering the bathroom.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

For the first time that day, Marine took her mask off. She wanted to find the answers she needed because she had already denied herself the right to blame others. To blame Shaina, most of all.

Aioria had seen Shaina’s face, at least, that was what the latter had said before leaving; however, Marine knew a person can’t love another one just because you’ve seen her face. What else had they shared that had caused Aioria to fall for Ophiuchus? For she knew he loved her and she felt like she wanted to blow up the next thing she found close to her. She needed the answers she knew she would never find; and they kept popping in her head, one after the other, without giving her a moment of peace. What had happened the day Aioria had come to Sanctuary carrying an unconscious Shaina in his arms? They had never told anyone about it. The only thing known was that Cassius was taking care of Shaina because she was somewhat injured; that was all.

That night, however, she gave up all reasoning and closed her heart. She would not suffer anymore. She didn’t need to do that to herself.

“Marine.”

She had been sitting in front of her cottage and froze when she heard Athena’s voice. It was strong and sweet, and she’d called her by her name, not her protector.

“Marine…” She said again, “It’s time for us to speak, isn’t it?”

Eagle left her mask on the floor, standing to face Athena before kneeling.

“Yes, My lady.”

Athena walked towards her and sat by her side. She motioned for Marine to take her place again. “It’s time to let go and forget, Marine.” She said at once, both knowing what she meant to say, yet the woman said nothing. She felt more than exposed before the Goddess after her words.

“Athena…” She wanted to say something, and she actually knew what to say to express her feelings, but the words didn’t come out. Marine’s heart was a mixture of colliding emotions she couldn’t put into words. Aioria had been everything she’d ever wanted ad still, she’d pushed him away. Even if Shaina had done something to win his heart, she’d been the one who’d made Aioria look somewhere else.

The Goddess looked at her. She knew of the turmoil inside of her, and that was why she was there. She felt she needed to do some damage control somehow, before the whole situation affected Sanctuary in ways she wasn’t sure she couldn’t manage.

“Marine…”

“Allow me, please.” Marine interrupted her, “I’ve loved Aioria for so long, it’s not that easy to let go and forget.”

“If so, why didn’t you say anything before?”

“I...I was afraid, I guess. I never thought he would love me back, and the only time when he kissed me, I couldn’t show him my face and after that everything changed, and the battles began, and I thought my duty to be first...”

“But he did, Marine.”

“It seems so, and at the moment I believed it too, but now...” Marine breathed deeply, “He loves Shaina, you know? And I still don’t understand how that happened.”

“It just happened; there’s nothing you can actually understand about it.”

“I know. And I hate it.” Her voice broke and Athena could notice it, yet not a tear was shed.

“He didn’t plan it.”

“It just happened, you’ve just said that and now I have to put up with it, right?”

The two women remained in silence for a while. They didn’t even try to say anything. Marine had to recognise she had lost a battle no one was fighting.  Aioria had seen Shaina’s face and that very fact had driven her far from him while it had driven the two of them closer. No matter the conditions, those were the facts.

“Does she love him?” Marine finally asked. Athena nodded; acknowledging to herself that her own fears had faded away the night in which Shaina had mentioned the Leo Saint’s name.

“Had you been in my place, what would you have done?”

“What do you mean, Marine?”

“If Seiya had loved Shaina, what would _you_ have done?”

Athena didn’t answer.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

The water was running down her body. It was warm, they way she’d wanted it. She was enjoying the last moments of a well-deserved rest; the vacation she would’ve never dared take before. The conversation with the Priest and the sensation she had felt, were now gone; Sanctuary was all she could think about and at the soft caress of the water, she called his name.

“Aioria”

There was no fear when she said it. In fact, she’d enjoyed pronouncing every letter of that ‘unspeakable’ name. Even when she knew they weren’t meant to be together, there was something about him that made her know she’d always have feelings for him. Contrary to what’d happened to Seiya, Aioria’d never seen her as someone inferior. He’d treated her as a warrior, an equal. One to be feared for that matter.

Shaina finished her shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She walked to the room and lay in bed. Aioria had always taken care of Marine. He’d been there for Eagle every time they’d had an argument or a fight. She thought back in the day when Seiya had just won his armour. Ever since that day, she’d wanted to kill him. He’d seen her face yes, and that’d led her to a love/hate feeling towards Pegasus: Her pride as a warrior had been tainted. She’d refused to love him at first, but it’d been in the hospital’s garden, when she’d received Aioria’s lightning bolt that she’d realised she couldn’t really hate him. Telling him she loved him had been the easiest thing to do. Risking her life for him during the battles had been natural to her. That he hadn’t loved her back hadn’t really mattered after all. That he had underestimated her because of her being a woman had been utterly offensive.

_‘I can’t fight against a woman.’_

Poor Seiya, she thought. If that’s how he walked his life, then she wasn’t the one losing.

And then there was Aioria. Aioria who would treat her as a warrior but didn’t care for her as a woman.

Shaina giggled tiredly. She turned to her side and curled, hugging the nearest pillow she found. Going to Catania had shown her not only the past she didn’t remember, but had also put into perspective—sort of—whatever was lying ahead for her in the future.

As Ophiuchus, she was Athena’s Amazon and her duty and the honour it entailed made her happy and she felt committed to it. As Shaina…the woman…she sighed. She had to acknowledge and accept that being a woman was one active part of her life. Aioria and her feelings were but a tiny part of it.

“This wasn’t what I came here for, Geist.”

Shaina stood up and walked to the balcony, closing its doors and curtains. She didn’t want to look at the cold full moon, but at the warm Greek sun she’d seen in green eyes that’d looked at her with tenderness and respect. Even if she was never going to tell him about her feelings for him.

Shaina put on some clothes and got in bed. She’d decided to stay in Catania for another day and then she’ll go back to Sanctuary. She turned and saw her silver mask on the bedside table and smiled. That mask had been the tool used by the gods so that she found her path in life.

“I still love you, though, Aioria.” She murmured thinking of him and remembering her last words to Father Giovanni.

_‘I belong to Sanctuary. I belong with ‘him’ ’_

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

Aioria woke up in the middle of the night; he was sweating and his breathing was out of control. He got up and went right to the kitchen to drink something. He’d just had the strangest dream of his life. Shaina was back, and she was in his temple, waiting for him. _‘I love you.’_ He’d heard her say in the dream, and he’d seen her smiling, her arms open, waiting for him, yet, when he tried to grab her hand, she’d vanished and her mask was all that was left of her. He cursed the dream and the result of it.

“Where are you, woman?” He said, certain that nothing was going to change out of the blue, and it didn’t matter how hard he’d like things to be different. Not knowing of her whereabouts was difficult to him. It all made him feel out of control and he thought for a moment he’d lost it at any moment.

“She’s in Italy...” Aioria didn’t move and stood still for a moment before turning to see the woman who’d just spoken. For a second, he felt scared. He hadn’t seen that one coming, he said to himself, and felt awkward as he waited for Marine to speak, not exactly certain as to why she was there, telling him about Shaina. “...or at least that was what she said, that she was going home.” Marine ended.

Aioria couldn’t say anything. Not a word. He was there, a glass of water in his hand, half-naked and motionless, staring at the beautiful woman standing in front of him. He’d love to have something to say to her, explain himself maybe, but he had to accept that there wasn’t much to talk about among them.

“Why?” was all he could say.

“Because I love you, Aioria.” She answered. Marine was trying to control her cosmos and hide her emotions. Those words were painful for her to say. Both because she should’ve said them a long time and ago and because they weren’t really that important among them right now.

“Oh Marine...forgive me, please.” He tried to approach her but he decided against it, once she moved backwards.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Aioria; I let my time with you pass, I thought you’d always be there waiting for me...I never thought you would fall in love with someone else...”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

This time, it was her who walked close to him, taking his hand and holding it for a few seconds. “You don’t choose who you love and...We’ll always be friends, right?”

The Lion Saint could do nothing else but nod. She took his hand and closed it with hers; she then let it go and walked out of the temple, leaving him with his thoughts.

Aioria opened his hand to see a piece of paper on it.

_‘Catania, Sicily’_

He left the glass on the table, and after getting dressed and leaving Leo in the Goddess’ Temple; he left Sanctuary.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

Marine knew exactly why she had gone to his Temple; was she that silly as to think that it was OK that he would be happy with another woman even if she weren’t?

She was walking outside the boundaries of the Twelve Temples, looking for the place she used to go to when she needed to be alone. However, that night, despite the hour, she wasn’t alone in the place at all; for someone else was there.

“I’m sorry.” The man said, “I didn’t think this place would be so crowded tonight.” She laughed. He simply smiled back at the cold mask. She wasn’t used to that; seeing people near that spot. It was pretty far from Sanctuary as far as she knew, and not many people knew about it. Marine also noticed that despite the air of sadness he’d had for the past year, he looked as handsome as usual.

His bluish wavy hair was floating in the air, moved freely by the wind. His turquoise eyes were shining under the moonlight. Everybody used to talk about him and his kindness, compared only to the Taurus Saint’s; even when they all knew how lethal he could be too. She had known Milo ever since they were children and she’d just entered Sanctuary. He used to love to play tricks on the Korês to be; he also was Aioria’s friend and anytime the first didn’t show up to say hi to her was because the two of them had been together.

“I think I’ve overstayed my welcome here,” He said, “I’m sure you need to be alone.”

The woman nodded, not ready to speak with him. She was used to Aioria, whom despite being a Golden Saint had never treated her differently, but she couldn’t tell much about the others, who’d always been aloof to so many things in Sanctuary.

“Thank you.” She finally managed to say and at the sound of her voice, Milo of Scorpio had to admit that Aioria had been right for years. Her voice was as soft as a beautiful song. He nodded as well and left the place.

Marine saw him walking away, heading to the Temples. He had also lost a lot in the battles that had taken place; friends, beliefs, hopes; and she understood why he’d looked for that place and at such an ungodly hour.

What she didn’t notice was that a pair of turquoise eyes stared at her at moments before disappearing in the dark.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

Aioria arrived on the Island long before the sun had risen in the morning sky. It was a beautiful place and he could tell it’d rained during the night. The leaves of the trees and the plants around still had little drops on them; yet, it was getting warmer as dawn drew closer. The Mediterranean sun was about to make its majestic appearance and the place seemed ready for him. He hid his cosmos, although he knew only she could have felt it. He looked around and wondered what he was doing there. What might she be doing there? The Saint felt like a teenager who had run away from home, boldly determined to follow his instincts.

He looked around and found himself in an unknown place, pretty much lost and without a clue as to where to go.

Time passed by and the small village started to recover its life; the church bells were now announcing the mass first time in the morning; the delicious smell of fresh bread wafted from the bakery; fresh coffee was being made in the houses, wives helping their husbands to get ready to go to work; children asking their moms for five more minutes of sleep before they actually had to get up to go to school.

Leo was walking around, looking among the half-awakened faces for the one that was familiar to him. He had no idea where to start looking for her. He kept wandering around the place until he ended up sitting in the main square, right where she had been sitting the day before. He stayed there for a while, without counting the hours or he would start to hallucinate. His soul hadn’t found any rest since Marine had been in his Temple the first time, but what she’d done last night was something he couldn’t explain yet. However, if she hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t be there.

The village was now full of life again, and he could see a feminine shape walking towards the square. He could recognise her by her always feminine movements; though he could also tell there was something different about her. This wasn’t the same woman who’d left Sanctuary about a week ago. Everything was different about her. Her expression, her clothing, and he felt afraid about what he would find.

“Shaina.” He muttered walking towards her.

“Aioria? What are you doing here?” She asked him when he was next to her. She saw him with a half smile on his face, afraid of having asked.

“I came here for you.”

“You shouldn’t have.” 

 


	4. Eyes

**IV. Eyes**

 

 

_‘I belong with ‘him’. ’_

Shaina’s words to the priest the day before betrayed her.  Ophiuchus knew she could’ve returned to Sanctuary at once, but she hadn’t.  In fact, Shaina knew she needed that time alone and perhaps a bit more.  Granted, she’d gone to Catania trying to look for answer regarding her long gone family, but no she was facing other problems she had with herself; Aioria,  Marine, just to name the one that had a name. By Athena that she didn’t want to be thinking of them, but she couldn’t help it.  Shaina’s mind was demanding that she figured things out, and the sooner, the better for her. This was a time for herself, no matter what the things she had in her head were; it wasn’t a time to give away to others. Not even for Aioria, no matter how badly she had been missing him.

However, seeing him had made her very angry. That was a feeling she hadn’t had in a very long time. And the worst part of it was that she hadn’t even felt that way the few times he’d seen her face. Everything with Aioria was one weird feeling after the other. He made her feel out of place; unbalanced. And that was something she hated. Aioria without knowing it could make her feel waves of happiness as well as those of rage she was experiencing at the moment. What had Aioria meant when he’d he was there because of her? Who did he think he was to pretend she might’ve needed him? The woman breathed deeply for she needed help from no one.

Her heart was full of colliding emotions. Shaina had wanted to see him so badly during the last few days. The day before in particular, after that talk with the Priest. The fact that Aioria had just showed up there, when she was certain he had no idea as to where she was made her even angrier. It was as if he’d invaded some privacy that had been meant for her alone.

 She was now back in her room in the Inn.  Shaina felt it was useless to stay in Catania and still, she felt like she couldn’t leave just yet. Trying to recover her past and understand it hadn’t been a good move to make whatsoever.  All she’d found out about herself and her sister was the reason for them to be in Sanctuary.  She threw the keys of the room in the bed and walked to the balcony. She sat of the chair there, and started thinking about the things she knew: other Korês from Sanctuary had given their parents money and had bought them from their parents. Not a usual practice in Sanctuary, but they’d done it nonetheless. Monica had become Geist and was dead. Patrizio their father was dead too. Their mother Veronica was very much alive. When had her father died? She wondered.  Did it actually matter after all? Geist was already dead regardless and she was inwardly struggling against not running back to Sanctuary—or to Aioria and demand an explanation from him.

She walked back in; the room was half illuminated. The bed placed in the middle of it, was covered by all the things the woman had brought with her and her keys shone above them all.  Her training clothes, the new ones she’d bought and the shoes.   Even a ribbon she’d worn the day before.  Her silver mask was there too.  Shaina started to take her clothes off, ready to take a bath and go back into town. Whether she returned that same day to Sanctuary or not, she was sweaty and needed to feel clean once again. She was wearing nothing but a set of white cotton underwear and she looked for a chair to sit in front of her belongings. One of her legs was folded, her knee touching her chest. The other one was barely touching the floor as if it were ethereal.  Her expression was a mixture of calmness and that passion that was so hers.

The Korê had to acknowledge her fears were all gone when she had told Father Giovanni about Athena and Aioria. They were mostly gone after she had woken up that morning and had headed to the beach to stretch a little. She’d seen her mother there. She hadn’t needed to see Father Giovanni by the woman’s side to know it was her. Shaina remembered walking on the beach towards them.  An inner force was leading her to them.  It wasn’t even morning yet, why would they be there so early? The bells of the church were already tolling and the Amazon wondered why Father Giovanni wasn’t there ready for the mass.

_‘She’s Veronica, she’s your—”_

_‘I know who she is.’_ Shaina had answered interrupting him; her cold voice hitting the man and the woman, hurting the latter.

_‘Francesca…’_

_‘Don’t call me that, I’ve already told you I’m Shaina.’_

_‘We…I’m sorry.’_ Veronica had said looking at Francesca. To her, now that she could see her and believe the Priest’s words, she was still Francesca. _‘We, your father and I thought you would be fine, we trusted them…’_

_‘You sent us to hell, Veronica.’_

She had walked away, though.  Turning her back on them and returning to the village.

_‘Francesca!’_

She had turned angrily looking at them. Standing before the old Priest, facing him.  _‘Don’t call me that, I’ve told you I’m Shaina.’_   The man sighed sorrowfully, trying to understand.

 _‘I’ve searched! I know who you are.  Who Athena is, but you…you’re not supposed to have a face and now you’re here. She…’_ the priest had said, pointing at the woman, _‘wants to talk to you and see your face once again.’_

She’d felt so angry then. Veronica, her mother, had meant to see her face. She was certain she’d never looked for them. Or else, she wouldn’t have believed they were going to be fine. Shaina didn’t stop the tears from falling down her cheeks.

 _‘What do you want?’_ She’d said. She’d stood before them, in a strong stance, waiting for the woman to start speaking; and when she did and tried to touch her, Shaina had remained motionless, neither ready, nor willing to accept her affection, or sorrow for that matter. Veronica had talked then. She’d told him about their precarious situation; about Patrizio’s illness and how desperate they were because they’d passed every day waiting for a miracle to happen so that they didn’t die. Shaina felt her for a moment, the cosmos of Geist coming from the sea, surrounding her. It had been that what had made her relax and accept Veronica’s−her mother’s−words.

 _‘You gave us a new life when you sent us away.’_ She’d finally said. _‘That is why I’m no longer Francesca. I’m sorry Ma’am, but I cannot give you what I cannot feel. You have my forgiveness and that of Monica, though she’s no longer among the living.’_ She’d seen the woman’s face twisted with pain and she’d had to look somewhere else.

 _‘Look, I have to go. You’ve seen me already and I don’t think there’s much else we have to talk about. Is there?’_ Father Giovanni had shaken his head then, and she’d continued towards the sea.

 _‘We always loved you.’_ Her mother had told her; and yet she didn’t turn to see her. She’d nodded though; acknowledging that she accepted her words.

Love was something that was still foreign to her. Shaina’s eyes fell on her mask and she thought on Seiya one more time. With him, love had been nothing but a raw feeling. A feeling that’d burnt inside of her, leaving her with more scars than she could count and more emotionally bruised than anything else. And then, there had been Cassius. She’d only cared for him as her trainee and even like that, she couldn’t call it love; and yet, he’d been the one to love and care for her when she needed it the most. And he’d died; and she’d spent all those months going to his grave and telling him how grateful she’d been and how sorry she was for not having understood him better.

She’d failed him as her trainer.

And there was Aioria all over again. He was there, in Catania.  A few steps from where she was (?). She could go looking for him, and she could try to tell him everything that had been going on with her and he could listen to her...and then maybe, just maybe, they could actually talk.

She stood up and walked to the bathroom.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

Aioria had been wandering around the town and people had taken him for a tourist, and soon found himself learning about Mount Edna and the impact it had in town. It’d been kind of new for him to have found people still believing that Typhoon was locked inside the volcano keeping it active, but it was even more interesting when a child told him that sometimes they could still hear Hephaestus working on his forge, hammering away inside the volcano.

The child had even said he was happy the god had blessed them by not having the place erupting in such a while.

Oh yes, he’d smiled a lot at hearing those things.

However he wasn’t smiling now.

He’d rushed to Catania and had found an unwilling Shaina. But then, what was he expecting? He couldn’t just show up before her and ask her to go back with him when he was nothing but a nuisance to her. Perhaps Athena had just encouraged him to do something foolish and he was being a fool indeed.

The town was now completely alive. He’d seen it awake and it marvelled him to realise how beautiful it truly was. He was sitting on the same bench he’d been at dawn. Her brother used to tell him how you could learn from a place by looking at its church and the people walking in it. Aioria’s face lit up when he realised not only that his brother had been right, but also that there was going to be a wedding that day. He could see the groom flawlessly dressed in clear plants and a dark jacket, his mother perhaps was the old lady fixing his tie. From one of the corners of the square, a beautiful bride was coming, walking to the church with her family walking by her side. She had her hand on her father’s arm and he was holding her with strength, maybe afraid of her tripping and falling, but he could see such much happiness in her eyes that he knew it wouldn’t happen.

Children were flowing from all over the place, like ants; gathering around the bride and groom as she climbed the stairs and the groom greeted her with a wide smile. The priest, and old man of light eyes, came to the front door with a book in his hands and asked them if they were there willingly. It was their parents who answered that yes, they were there on their own will indeed and the Priest led them in to the church.

Aioria smiled. Weddings weren’t a regular thing in Sanctuary and he’d never been into one himself. He stood up, ready to walk into the church and be a witness of the whole thing. Despite everything, he’d found the resolve to make the best out of his time there.

He didn’t notice the woman walking to him, though. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, and sat back. Shaina was coming and sitting next to him. She was wearing a light linen long dress and sandals. Her hair was loose and he thought he was going to lose himself in the sight of her.

“Why did you say that you’d come here for me, Aioria?”

He took a deep breath before answering.

 

 

*       *       *

 

                         

Athena had spent the day immersed in papers. If everything worked out the way she’d planned it, then she’d be able to bring a little of the XXI century into Sanctuary. She knew the magic that surrounded the place would make it a bit difficult, but she also knew she had to give it a try. She wasn’t going to last forever, and she knew that she had to make everything within her power to provide for her Saints in a much better way.

She saw Seiya walk to her and stopped her work. He’d been in the Chamber of the Armours and he’d seen that Shaina wasn’t back yet. She knew, for he was one of her Saints. It didn’t really matter that he was her mate and that they shared her most holy bed. Seiya was still nothing but a Saint. And human above all else.

“How can I help you, dear one?” Athena’s voice sounded void of emotions and Seiya noticed it. It was always like that when she was working on ‘official’ matters.

“Shaina hasn’t returned yet.” He said, avoiding going around the bushes with the topic.

“She’s free to return whenever she feels like it.” She returned her gaze to the papers on her desk. That Seiya was asking about Shaina unsettled her and for once, she realized she wasn’t acting like a Goddess but like a mere human.

_‘Had you been in my place, what would you have done?’_

She hadn’t known how to answer Marine back then and still didn’t know.

“She’s been away for a long time...”

“Only a week, Seiya. Let her be.”

“Yes, but...”

Athena looked him in the eye. She refused to allow her cosmos to tell her whatever was boiling inside her consort. Seiya actually had the decency to blush and turn away from her.

“Seiya, if there’s something I need to know, you’d better tell me now.” Her words stopped him from leaving and he had to acknowledge that he couldn’t run away from her. Not this time.

“I’m worried for her, that’s all.”

“You’re lying.” She didn’t need to be a Goddess to know that. He felt caught.

“Saori...look...” Seiya began to speak, hoping she’d come to his side and listen to him, but Athena remained sitting behind her desk. Pegasus observed her and knew he wouldn’t be able to fathom whatever was going on inside of her, for her, being the Goddess she was, was wearing a mask of seriousness he’d never seen before. It actually seemed like the mask the Korês wore: like Marine’s or Shaina’s.

It struck him then. Athena was protecting herself from him and he understood the use of the masks within Sanctuary. He finally comprehended that Athena had never meant to turn the female warriors into men, like everybody said, it was all about allowing them that space women need to be aloof and not let anything touch them so that they could continue playing the part they were supposed to.

“Shaina will be gone for as long as she needs it. She’s earned her place here and she’s free to decide when to return.” Athena stated. “Plus, she’s no longer in love with you, Seiya.” Athena finished in the calmest way she could, and acknowledge the emotions flying across Seiya’s face. Relief, fear, disappointment?

Athena sighed suppressing her desire to cry. Now she could understand Marine and her questioning her.

_‘If Seiya had loved Shaina, what would you have done?’_

_I would’ve blamed her. I would’ve despised him_. She thought. And yet she couldn’t do either thing. For Shaina had never attempted moving closer to Seiya and they had made it quite clear to her that she wasn’t welcomed in their lives−something she’d come to realise they hadn’t needed to do. She wasn’t the one to blame. And Seiya...she couldn’t despise him; he was her Pegasus, the Saint who’d gone against other gods just for her sake. He was the human she loved.

No. She’d come to terms with the fact that Shaina was her own woman. That she’d been honest and stronger than they’d been. Athena had mistreated her; she’d had to accept it the night Shaina left. And Seiya...he’d done nothing but claim he didn’t love Ophiuchus.

Wait. She was referring to her Korê in terms of her protector. Of course. Shaina was worthy of her armour and she couldn’t deny that to her. She couldn’t and wouldn’t blame her.

“Seiya?” She finally said. Athena had to accept then that Shaina was nothing but an excuse for the flaws in their relationship. The same ones she’d never wanted to acknowledge before. Even when she hated it, their relationship though a good one, was far from perfect. No wonder she’d never fallen in love before, she reckoned.

Pegasus turned to her. His head was turmoil, but he couldn’t lie to her. “I... _don’t_ love her, Athena, but...”

“You thought _she_ ’d always love _you_ , didn’t you?”

Seiya nodded. In his pride, he’d believed Shaina would always love him. As much Miho still did. But what he’d never tell Athena is that he was afraid of the day she was to leave him in order to return to Olympus until the time they were to be reborn again. He felt that he needed something−someone−certain to go to in case it was necessary.

Athena however, hadn’t missed the fact that he’d called her by her godly name, and not Saori, like he always did. Seiya didn’t need to tell her anything then. She already knew. She smiled to herself and thought about her own silliness. By Zeus that humans were troublesome.

“Anything else you need, my love?” She asked.

He shook his head and saw her go back to her work. They’d talk more later, he thought before leaving the room.

It was then that in the silence of her chamber, Athena cried.

 

 

*       *       *

 

 

He’d choked at her bluntness, but had to admit he wouldn’t want her to be any different. He’d turned to look at her and found her eyes waiting for him, questioning while she waited. What a test for him! She was sitting next to him, she could see her chest going up and down proving him that she wasn’t an illusion and he still couldn’t utter a sound.

“I thought you’d left Sanctuary.” He responded honestly. His biggest fear had been that he’ll never see her; that she wouldn’t be part of the sacred place anymore and that frightened him more than knowing he’d love her in silence for the rest of his life.

However, Shaina started laughing. He’d never heard her laugh with such freedom and with such delight. He saw her bent forward, her laughter becoming contagious, though he’d started to feel like a real idiot because she felt like she was laughing at him.

“Did I say something funny?” He asked, laughing a little.

Shaina looked at him and laughed some more. If only he could see his own startled face...

“Forgive me, Aioria...I...” He saw her try to recover her composure and try to calm her breathing. “I thought you’d say you had orders to drag me back to Sanctuary...I never expected...”

“Nobody sent me here, Shaina.” He interrupted her; stopping laughing as he said those words, “I’m here because I have feelings for you and the thought of never seeing you again was too much for me to bear it.  I had to...”

“You’re here because you what?!”

Silence fell upon them. Shaina and Aioria turned to look in front of them. Aioria’s face had turned a deep shade of red. He’d kick himself if he’d been able to. He hadn’t expected to just drop such bomb on her without warning her first, but he wanted her to know that he was serious about what he was feeling and her laughter hadn’t really helped. Shaina on the other hand was still trying to figure out what was going on, his words repeating over and over in her head.

“Shaina...” He finally said and turned to look at her. She was still looking at some invisible point in front of her and he didn’t seem to be able to make her turn to look at him.

“Why, Aioria?” She’d promised to herself that she’d never cry over the words of a man again and here she was crying in silence, letting the tear drops fall down her cheeks; not yet ready to turn and look at him.

Why indeed; he thought.

“Because it was time I told you.”

“And Marine?”

“It’s not her whom I love.”

Shaina wiped away the tears from her face. If what Aioria was saying was the truth...and if she allowed herself to let him close...Athena! Why was this happening to her now, when she believed she was figuring her life out.

“You have no right...”

“I know.”

His voice sounded defeated, she noticed. It was as if he’d come here, looking for her, hoping for a chance and had already given up.

“You know?” She turned to look at him now. Her face was bare, no mask, no makeup. He could see all her years on it, and many more she hadn’t lived but had experienced. Her face was clean, bright; her eyes were framed in red because of the tears. He’d never meant to make her cry. And yet, he didn’t know why she was crying.

“I came here hoping for you to love me back.” He spoke and she broke into tears one more time. Louder this time. He felt those fears pierce his skin and stab him the way he probably deserved.

“Why, Aioria. Why?” She said one more time before burying her face in her hands.

“Because I can’t imagine Sanctuary without you. Even if you hate me, I just can’t.”

“But Marine...”

Marine. Of course they’d have to talk about Marine.

“I can’t love someone who doesn’t trust me enough to show me her face.”

“And me? I haven’t shown you my face...you’ve...you’ve just happened to be there when I haven’t had my mask on...”

“You’re not wearing it now...and you came here looking for me; didn’t you, Shaina?”

She nodded. He was bearing his soul to her and she was doing nothing but questioning him. It was just that her head still couldn’t understand or accept that he was truly there, and that he was there for her.

For her.

Shaina stopped crying. For once, she felt like the woman she was and thought she wouldn’t look nice crying and with her eyes swollen because of that. And she’d meant for him to see her looking beautiful. That’d been why she’d worn that dress that fit her silhouette so nicely and comfy and had worn her hair loose after combing it many times before leaving her room. And it was all because she’d meant to find out why he was there. And yet, his answer...

“And Seiya?”

She knew they’d have to talk about him some time, but she wasn’t really expecting it to be so soon.

“This isn’t fair.”

“What isn’t, Shaina?”

She didn’t respond. Doing it would mean to be exposed and there had been many things happening lately. Her absence from Sanctuary being the smallest of her problems.

“Athena allowed me to leave Sanctuary for a while, Aioria. She knew I needed to be away and take some time for myself.” She started to tell him, and then she told him about Geist and her family and how she’d found her mother still alive in Catania.

He understood her changing the topic, and allowed her to do so. Things weren’t easy for them, and if he was in such a situation because of what he felt, he could only imagine what it was like for Shaina after everything he’d told her and the things she was telling him herself. When she finished, she took her hand and squeezed it in his. Shaina wasn’t crying anymore, her voice had started to sound calmer than he’d ever heard it and she hadn’t asked him not to touch her.

“Will you come back then?”

She nodded. Before he even tried to speak again, the front of the church was full of the people that were coming out from the wedding. Aioria smiled and shook his head.

“What?” She asked.

“I wanted to see what a wedding was like.” They both laughed and stood up to see the newlyweds as they were greeted by their families and people threw petals of roses to them. “I’ll wait for the next one. I kinda like it here.”

Shaina rolled her eyes, but laughed this time.

“Shaina...”

“I will return to Sanctuary, Aioria.”

“And me?” He dared ask.

“You?”

“Yes. I _have_ seen your face many times already and I still don’t know what you’re going to do about it.”

She smiled. They were still holding hands and Shaina took advantage of that. She turned to him and pulled him closer to her. She’d seen others do this, she could do it, she told herself. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Aioria’s lips were warm; and when he opened them to close them on hers again, she felt she’d lost the battle to him. He didn’t let go of her hand, and his other pulled her into his embrace without stopping kissing her. She smiled against his lips and moved away.

Aioria was looking at her, bewildered. But his eyes. By Athena that those eyes were going to be the end of her.

“I will return to Sanctuary.” She repeated. “But not today, Aioria. And as for you...I haven’t tried to kill you, have I?”

He shook his head and leaned to kiss her again. He grabbed her by her waist and this time after they kissed, he let his forehead resting on hers.

“Shaina...”

“This scares the shit out of me, Aioria.”

He laughed at her words. They weren’t very lady-like, but he understood the feeling.

“Me too.” He confessed, and they laughed. Looking at each other into those green eyes of theirs; seeing the truth in them, and embracing it.

 

*       *       *

 

Aioria returned to Sanctuary that very afternoon. He’d spent it with Shaina and even had the chance to talk to Father Giovanni as he approached her after the service. When she’d walked away with him to speak, he was left alone with a woman named Veronica, who he later found out to be Shaina’s mother. The woman began to tell him her side of the story and she even asked him to talk to Francesca, her daughter, and have her understand what had happened. He pitied the woman, but understood what Shaina had told him in the square before.

When Shaina and the priest returned to where he and the woman were, he took Shaina by the hand and took her to the Inn. There, he promised her to wait until she was ready to go back and she promised she’d let him know when that would be. Something about waiting for her to walk her into Sanctuary or something like that. He’d been lost the instant he’d told her he loved her and she’d said it back. Oh yes, and they’d kissed. A lot.

It’d been a week since then and that morning he’d received news from her. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to wait for her as he’d said he would. Athena had sent him to Japan to run some errands for her−that day he felt like her errand boy, yes−but he wasn’t going to let that bother him.

As soon as he set foot in Sanctuary, he felt her. He rushed to Athena’s chamber and he found everybody assembled there. Athena was telling them about the different changes she wanted to implement in Sanctuary and they were in groups discussing the consequences of those changes. Nobody seemed to be against any of that, on the contrary; but it was true that most of them were still a bit apprehensive. He saw her across the room. She was wearing her usual clothes for Sanctuary and frowned when he saw she was wearing her mask. He’d been waiting to see her without it and stare into those eyes of hers he’d come to love so much.

However, the instant he turned to look at him and bowed slightly, he couldn’t help but smile broadly.

“Aioria, did you manage to get an answer from Tatsumi?” Athena talked to him at that moment and he had to turn to look at her and give the report. Electricity wasn’t going to be a problem he reported, and the people at the Graude Foundation were waiting for her orders to start moving appliances and everything needed to Greece. Athena nodded and looked for Shaina with her eyes. She smiled when she noticed her looking at Aioria.

They’d finally figured their things out, she thought. That was something she was feeling happy about.

The meeting was dismissed soon and Aioria waited for Shaina who was staying behind. He saw her walk across the room and into the Chamber of the Armours. He also saw Seiya walking towards the same place and simply reacted when he walked to the chamber himself, hating that bothersome feeling crawling inside of him.

“Aioria...” Athena said with a hint of sadness in her voice, and he offered his arm, walking with her.

_‘You look good, Shaina.’_

_‘Thanks, Seiya.’_

_‘I was worried you wouldn’t return.’_

_‘I made a promise that I was going to return, and here I am.’_

Aioria’s blood was boiling and he felt as if he wanted to rip Seiya apart, limb by limb.

_‘I was wondering...’_

_‘Whatever is in your head, Pegasus is wrong.’_

Athena flinched when she heard Shaina speak and she couldn’t avoid the stare Aioria was giving her at the moment.

 _‘I will always wish you well, Seiya.’_ Shaina was saying, and Aioria felt proud.

_‘I didn’t mean it to sound like that, Shaina, I...’_

_‘Appreciate what you have Seiya, and don’t start fooling around. That’s not like you.’_

_‘You said once that you loved me.’_

_‘Yes, and I was young and foolish. You’re Athena’s consort and I respect her way more than I could ever respect you. So don’t do anything that would make me kill you, Pegasus.’_

_‘But...’_

_‘There are things you don’t talk about, Seiya. But if you need to know, I’m not here because of you. I am Ophiuchus Shaina and my place in Sanctuary was mine before you earned yours. Don’t you make a mistake with me, Seiya.’_

_‘Shaina...’_

_‘Honour and love the woman by your side, Pegasus. And leave me alone. You and I have nothing to talk about, right?’_

Athena squeezed Aioria’s arm encouraging him to walk in. She then moved away, leaving him. When they heard her walk, her shoes hitting the marble of the floor, Aioria walked in, leaving Athena outside.

“Do you want me to carry your armour, Shaina?”

Ophiuchus laughed, and Aioria felt good when he heard her. She had her armour on her shoulder and allowed him to take it from her, while Ophiuchus accepted to be carried by someone different from her owner.

Seiya saw the way they were interacting and understood many things then. The night Shaina had come to talk to Athena; the afternoon the Goddess had spent with Aioria; their absences. Seiya nodded and before leaving he apologised to Shaina, promising he’d follow her advice.

Once they were left alone, Aioria frowned at Shaina, who looked him a bit worried behind her mask.

“What? You didn’t even say ‘hi’ when you walked in and now you’re giving that weird look?” She asked. Bold.

“I thought you weren’t wearing your mask anymore. I mean...in Catania...”

Shaina smiled and took her mask off.

“See?! That’s so much better.” Aioria said looking at her in the eye.

“Of course, it’s much better; but you see...I thought only _you_ would see my face from now on.”

Aioria opened his mouth to protest but decided against it. He felt more powerful at that moment than ever before and it was only because of the promise hidden under Shaina’s words. But then, he kissed her. By Athena that he’d never tire of that.

“Put it back on then. We have to take your armour to your place.”

“I wanna visit Cassius’ grave first. I came here directly from the island and I wanna see it.”

“Sure.” He smiled and kissed her hand the instant she put the mask on.

When they walked out, they found Athena and Pegasus and nodded to them as they left the place.

She started telling him about Father Giovanni and her mother and how they’d ended up working some things up among them. She’d promised to go back soon and asked if he’d go with her. They knew they had a long way before them, but they also knew that they’d try to make it worthy. They deserved it, and owed it to each other.

“Can you take the mask off again?” He asked.

“Aioria...”

“Then, let’s get to your home soon. I love it when you don’t wear it.”

Yes, they had a long way before them, she thought; but at least it wasn’t going to be that terrible to walk. She didn’t need to see Aioria’s eyes to know that and the way he was holding her hand as they walked to Cassius’ grave told her so.

“Let’s hurry.” She said. She wanted to be alone with him. No masks or obstacles. Plus, she was dying to see those eyes of him again and have them looking at her only.

Selfish yes. But she was Ophiuchus after all, and there were things that’d never change.

 

 

 

Ariadne, March 30, 2010


End file.
